Antarctic History: A lonely momento of the Discovery Expedition
While I was in Antarctica recently I had the opportunity to visit the Discovery Hut. It was built by Captain Robert Falcon Scott as part of his Discovery expedition of 1901-1904.
Officially known as the British Antarctic Expedition, these early Antarctic voyages were unofficially known by the name of the ships that carried them. In this case the ship was the ‘Discovery’.
The hut is only a short distance from US McMurdo Station, the largest base in Antarctica. Its simple lines contrast with the sprawling McMurdo Base which looks like an Alaskan mining camp.
The Discovery expedition was the first British government funded expedition to Antarctica and it made important discoveries for science and about Antarctica, reaching the furthest point south at that time. It also launched the polar careers of Scott and Shackleton and led to fame for Scott (Shackleton was sent home on a relief ship, suffering from scurvy, but returned with his own expeditions later).
It’s nice to know that the pre-fabricated hut was designed in Australia and cost £360 at the time. Unfortunately, it was an outback design which was great for keeping out the heat. Not so useful in Antarctica :-). But it must have been well designed because it is still standing over a century later.
It ended up being used as a storeroom, a workshop and for putting on entertainment, while the men chose to sleep on the much warmer ship ‘Discovery’. Later expeditions to Antarctica would also come to use the hut for various purposes.
So spare a little thought for a lonely little Australian hut, sitting quietly on a remote point on Ross Island, Antarctica, which was part of one of the bravest and grandest of human adventures.
Check out my short video about the Discovery expedition.