Follow in the footsteps of renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in new exhibition
Antarctica: Endurance and Survival
It’s one of the greatest survival stories of all time and now, over 100 years later, a new display on tour from the Australian National Maritime Museum invites visitors to walk in the footsteps of famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and discover his epic voyage of survival for themselves.
Antarctica brings together first-hand accounts and dramatic images by official expedition photographer Australian Frank Hurley to tell the compelling story of Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17 and his bid to stay alive.
The display creates the atmosphere of Antarctica with genuine artefacts on loan from the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). This includes a Husky that died in a blizzard and an Emperor Penguin, frozen in time.
There are also smaller personal objects like rabbit fur mittens, homemade ski stocks, an ice axe and boots, all a huge contrast to the high-tech equipment used in modern expeditions. A balaclava and a touching letter to his wife in case of death are the legacy of famous Welsh/Australian polar explorer Sir Tannatt Edgeworth David, a member of Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition.
Shackleton set out in August 1914 with a bold plan to be the first to cross Antarctica’s vast interior. His strategy was to have two parties working from opposite sides of the continent. He would lead the Weddell Sea crossing party while a second Ross Sea supply party would lay critical rations ahead of him.
Both ships were ultimately lost to their crews (one crushed in the ice and the other wrenched away by a storm). Shackleton’s party would never even touch the continent they hoped to cross, and the other would be marooned on it, desperately sledging across hundreds of kilometres of ice to lay depots for the party which would never come. The exhibition looks at the changes in ship design from Endurance to AAD’s latest icebreaker RSV Nuyina.
Through the eyes of modern-day adventurer Tim Jarvis AM, who re-enacted parts of Shackleton’s journey, and biologist and Shackleton fellow Mel Mackenzie, the display follows the harrowing experiences of both parties and asks visitors to think about their reaction and decisions.
The Museum has selected some stunning hand coloured slides produced by legendary Frank Hurley, as well as stark black and white images evoking this vast cold lonely continent.
In today’s context the Museum has included some Antarctic adventure stories and photographs from modern polar travellers, including Museum volunteer Desley Pedrazzini.
In typical gentleman explorer style, Shackleton took a Fortnum & Mason birthday cake with him on Endurance, hidden in his sock. In celebration, Fortnum & Mason in London have donated a magnificent picnic hamper, with fruitcake, valued at over $500 to the Museum. Visitors to the exhibition can go into the draw to win the Fortnum & Mason ‘Piccadilly Stripe Two Person Hamper’.
Antarctica: Endurance and Survival is on display at the Queensland Maritime Museum from 9th September to 10th February 2020.
