Evening star., 1954-05-28
Australians Establish
Antarctic Settlement
Permanent Bose Seeks
To Seal Claim to Area
BY Thomus R. Henry


By ThomGs R. Henry
The first permanent settlement In
an area Of approximately three million
square miles now has been set up near
the coast OF MacRobertson Land on the
Antarctic continent by ten Australian
explorers.
The major announced purpose of this
little camp Of Caravans" named
"Mawson" after Australias foremost
south polar explorer. Is to establish
beyond dispute the commonwealth
claim to this vast area. It comprises
all the land between the Wilkes.
Enderby. MacRobertson and Princess
Elizabeth coasts and the South Pole.
This is the region marked on older
maps as Enderby Land and for more
than q century was claimed by the
United Kingdom. In 1853 it was
formally incorporated in the Australian
Commonwealth by acts Of the British
and Australian Parliaments. 1t COM
prises about half the Antarctic con-
tinent.
Seeks to Fulfil Claims.
Under present international conven-
tionS-not. however. entirely recognized
by the United StateS-territorial claims
to unoccupied areas rest on three
grounds: Discovery, exploration and
occupation. It is the latter requirement
which Australia now is trying to fulfill
by the Mawson settlement. Decision to
set up the establishment came with
the destruction by fire q year ago
OF the French settlement. intended to
be permanent, on the coast of Adele
Land. This is small pie-shaped slice
extending from the coast to the pole
which essentially bisects the Australian
territory. The French claim is recog-
nized and Australia had planned to use
the Adele base as its own headquarters
on the continent. The present party
is accompanied by French observer.
Besides supporting the territorial
claim, the Australians will carry out
much exploration Of unknown territory
and make meteorological and other
scientific observations. It now is recog-
nized that much of the Southern Hemi-
spheres weather is created on the great
southern ice cap from which hurricane
winds constantly blow northward. The
expedition Is equipped with "weasles,"
American tractored snow vehicles de-
veloped during the war, which have
hauled the specially designed caravans
inland from the MacRobertson coast.
Use Everest Equipment.
Advantage is being taken of the ex-
perience Of the New 'Zealander, Sir
Edmund Hillary, who recently made
the flrst successful ascent Of Mount
Everest. The explorers are wearing the
type Of quilted, down-fllled nylon
jackets designed by Hillary and also
are using much Of his mountain climb
ing gear which may prove invaluable
in the rough. deeply crevassed ice.
The party is under the command OF
DR.. Robert Dovers. Australian physicist.
The same men will remain at the sta
tlon at least year. Then it is planned
to replace them, after the pattern set
by the French in Adele Land.
The territory is almost completely
unexplored. In the 1911 and 1918 ex.
peditions Of Sir Douglas Mawson, how
ever. very rich coal deposits were found
IN the mountains Of MacRobertson and
Princess Elizabeth Lands. Mixed with
the rather low-grade coal were consid-
cradle traces Of gold. silver, copper.
ant1mony and molybdenum. It is be.
lieved the land under the ice is Of much
the same geological structure as south
ern Australia. The two continents NAV
have been Joined in the distant past.
Have Had Two Weather Stations.
For several years the Australians
have maintained two Antarctic weather
stations on Heard and Macquerie Is
lands, on the Antarctic coast, about
5000 miles apart. Most Of the men at
the new continental station have had
experience at these island stations.
The present party was taken ashore
from the Danish motor ship Kista Dan,
chartered by the Australian govern
ment for the purpose. It sailed frona
the French possession, Kerguelen Land.
in the sub-Antarctic late in February.
It is planned that all three Australian
stations will take part in the inter-
national year program of 1957-58 when,
II present plans are realized, the United
States will establish an observing sta
ton at the South Pole itself.
The vast area over which Australia
is seeking to establish its sovereignty
beyond dispute is, so far as known from
a few airplane flights over it, a COM
pletely barren waste. There never have
been conflicting claims to ownership
such as have disturbed international
relations In other parts Of Antarctica.