Early film of Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition
Sir Douglas Mawson, who had taken many of the photographs on Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition 1907-09, recognised the value of photography for documenting scientific exploration and for inspiring the public and the government to donate funds for future trips to Antarctica.
In light of this, Mawson appointed Frank Hurley as the expedition photographer for his Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914 and Hurley went to great lengths to capture images from the expedition.
Cape Denison proved itself to be incredibly windy, with gusts reaching as much as two hundred kilometres an hour and Hurley built himself a small ice shelter so he could film the men working but, at the same time, protect his camera from the wind and snow.
In 1913 Hurley returned to Australia where he assembled the film. The film was silent without captions and would most likely have been screened accompanied by live narration. It was released in 1913 to popular acclaim to assist with raising funds for Mawson’s return.
Originally titled ‘Life in the Antarctic’ the name was changed to the more dramatic but apt ‘Home of the Blizzard’. The film helped to raise awareness of the polar region, revealing its beauty and the courage of the men who worked there.
When the film was shown in England it was seen by explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who later appointed Hurley as official photographer for his 1914 polar expedition.
The footage below is a short excerpt from ‘Home of the Blizzard’ showing the men bowed and struggling to walk while they collect ice for melting. The conditions were extremely difficult but the men bravely carried out their work over the two years that they remained on the ice at Cape Dennison.