Antarctic Explorers
By Grace
Only the bravest explorers took on the harsh conditions of Antarctica. Let me introduce you to some of those brave people.
Douglas Mawson.
Douglas Mawson was born on the 5th of may 1882 and died on the 14th of October 1958. Mawson is buried at the Cemetery Of Saint Jude's Church in South Australia. But before he died he took part in an extraordinary expedition called the "Australasian Antarctic Expedition". He went with 3 other men A.F Mackay and David Edgeworth. Did you know that when they ran out of food they had to eat the meat from their sled dogs!! Unfortunetly bot his partners died during the expedition. After he lost both his partners he traveled an amazing 160 kilometers on foot, whilst pulling a sled of geological supplies.
These were the men who took part in the expedition:
After The Expedition
Mawson's Book
After the expedition Mawson published a book called "Home Of The Blizzard" which was an account of his trek in Antarctica. One thing in his writing was about wind in Antarctica. He call some of the wind "Herculean gusts" because they "approached two hundred miles per hour."
Mawson's Legacy
Mawson''s legacy lives on. For example: Mawson's face was featured on the 2012 $1 coin and in 2013 an expedition was led in his name by Australian Polar Scientists. It was called the "Australian Mawson Centenary Expedition". We will remember him for a few things. For example: The first ascent of Mount Erebus, the first team to reach the South Magnetic Pole and the sole survivor of the " Far Eastern Party Of The Australasian Antarctic Expedition"
Richard E. Byrd
Richard Evelyn (E.) Byrd
Richard E. Byrd was born October 25th 1888 and died on March 11th 1957. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Byrd went on his first Antarctic expedition in 1928 until 1930. Taking 2 ships and 3 airplanes they conducted many geological surveys and took many photographs. Byrd went on a further 2 expeditions in Antarctica. Did you know he nearly died from being poisoned by Carbon Monoxide.
Richard E. Byrd in the navy.
Finally: David Edgeworth
David Edgeworth
Edgeworth was born on the 28th of January 1858 and died on the 28th of August 1934. He died whilst on his antarctic expedition due to Lobar pneumonia. Edgeworth went to Antarctica with Mawson and Mackay to carry out research. Edgeworth led his partners on an attempt to reach the Magnetic South Pole. They ate seals and penguins whilst trekking for ten weeks. on the 16th of january 1909 they were succesful in reaching the Magnetic South Pole.