The home of the Nimrod expedition
Sir Ernest Shackleton led the British Antarctic (Nimrod) Expedition (1907-09). His expedition achieved a number of firsts, including the first to climb Mount Erebus, first to reach the Magnetic South Pole and the furthest point south reached at that time, only 156 km short of the Geographic South Pole.
To house his shore party of 14 men at Cape Royds, Shackleton had brought with him a specially designed prefabricated hut made by Humphreys Limited of Knightsbridge, London. It was a rather spacious hut though perhaps not so much when occupied by fourteen men.
The simple structure is about 10 m long by 6 m wide, and had separate lodging for the expedition’s ponies and dogs, as well as the first motorcar on the continent, a 12-15 horsepower Arrol Johnston specially retrofitted for the expedition.
The hut performed admirably in the extreme cold and against the ferocious winds. The fact that the main part of the hut is still standing over 100 years after its completion is a testimony to the builders and designers.
Shackleton left behind a fully stocked hut when the expedition returned to England and most of the stores are still there. Upon leaving Antarctica to go back home, Shackleton wrote:
“We all turned out to give three cheers and to take a last look at the place where we had spent so many happy days. The hut was not exactly a palatial residence … but, on the other hand, it had been our home for a year that would always live in our memories…. We watched the little hut fade away in the distance with feelings almost of sadness, and there were few men aboard who did not cherish a hope that some day they would once more live strenuous days under the shadow of mighty Erebus.”
In 2004, after two years of planning, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust began a major four-year conservation programme to secure and weatherproof the building and conserve the estimated 6,100 artefacts.
Work was completed in 2008 and an annual maintenance and monitoring plan has been put in place.
If you click on the link below you can look at Shackleton’s hut with a 3D view and explore it by clicking and moving your cursor.