Sir Douglas Mawson is widely regarded as Australia’s greatest Antarctic explorer for mapping untrodden areas and surviving some of the most harrowing situations. Though less prestigious, this was a wide ranging scientific and exploratory expedition to previously unknown and unvisited regions of the Antarctic continent. Feature Name: Mawson Bank Feature Type: bar Latitude: 73°30'S Longitude: 174°00'E Description: A bank named for Sir Douglas Mawson. Dragging two sledges, one weighing 606 pounds and the other 250 pounds, they took four months to cover the 250 miles, averaging about two miles a day. He was born in Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, on 5th May 1882, the son of cloth merchant Robert El.. He was the leader of the Australian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), which set out to chart Antarctica's coastline. His skin was peeling from his feet, he had frostbite and his body was in a bad way from Vitamin A poisoning. Douglas Mawson an Australian by adoption was offered a place on Scott's Terra Nova expedition but turned it down to lead the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911 - 1914 sailing on the Aurora. He returned to find his ship Aurora had left a few hours earlier. Answer. Sir Douglas Mawson and expedition members cheering the raising of the Union Jack flag at Proclamation Harbour, Enderby Land, Antarctica, ca. 6 men waited for Mawson's team to arrive only Mawson survived out of the three in he's group. After his two companions died, he completed the expedition alone, travelling 160km in 30 days. A century ago, Douglas Mawson saw his two companions die and found himself stranded in the midst of Antarctic blizzards. 1930 Credit:Frank Hurley courtesy of NLA. Embarking on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) with Mawson, John King Davis captained the Aurora with a crew, 31 expeditioners and materials for living huts, and wireless masts to establish the first radio communications in Antarctica. Though less prestigious, this was a wide ranging scientific and exploratory expedition to previously unknown and unvisited regions of the Antarctic continent. Mertz died on January 8, 1913, with Mawson attributing his death to ''weather exposure and want of food''. DOUGLAS MAWSON AND THE NIMROD EXPEDITION An Australian geologist who became Australia’s greatest Antarctic explorer. © Australian Antarctic Division and the ABC A glimpse, from within the cavern of the Mertz Glacier, Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914Credit:Frank Hurley courtesy of NLA. University of Sydney, coeducational institution of higher learning in Sydney, nominally private but supported financially by both the Commonwealth of Australia and New South Wales. Register to get answer. Mawson was knighted in 1914 and one of the Antarctic bases, Mawson Station, was named after him. Douglas Mawson was born in Yorkshire on May 5, 1882. In 1909 he took his degree of Doctor of Science from Adelaide University, where he was a lecturer in mineralogy and petrology. n Sir Douglas. Five men set up a base at Macquarie Island, while the remainder sailed on the Antarctic continent to establish two bases: the Main Base at Commonwealth Bay led by Mawson, and the Western Base at Queen Mary Land led by Frank Wild. 0 0 1. He later became a professor at the Adelaide University and was made Sir Douglas by the King in 1914. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Mawson and five men remained for another year. Douglas Mawson synonyms, Douglas Mawson pronunciation, Douglas Mawson translation, English dictionary definition of Douglas Mawson. Mawson died of cerebral hemorrhage on October 14, 1958 at his home in Brighton. This was confirmed years later when his geological samples from Cape Denison were examined in detail. Douglas Mawsonattended the Fort Street Model School. 1930. High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. Mawson's Hut. Mawson’s Hut and its outbuildings remain largely intact and are of national and international heritage significance. Mawson kept his ‘favourite dog’ Admiral D’Urville, who was soon entertaining guests at a reception held by his fiancee’s family (‘To Meet Dr. Douglas Mawson’). The irony of this choice of pet—Mawson had after all eaten the dog’s mother, Ginger—was not lost on the Australian media. Asked by Wiki User. Douglas Mawson attends University Mawson studied mining engineering at the University of Sydney between 1902 and 1905. C This article has been rated as C-Class on the project's quality scale. But make sure you take a coat. If you really want to come to grips with how this happened – the trials, tribulations and sheer heroism that was required to bring it about – you need to visit Mawson’s Huts. C This article has been rated as C-Class on the project's quality scale. 1882–1958, Australian Antarctic explorer, born … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Sir Douglas Mawson BirthdayFriday, May 05, 1882 BirthplaceShipley, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom DiedTuesday, October 14, 1958 Nationality Australian Occupation Geologist, chemistry demonstrator, Antarctic explorer, academic EducationRooty Hill and Fort Street Model School, Sydney, New South Wales Known for First ascent of Mount Erebus. On an Antarctic expedition 100 years ago, Mawson endured one of the most horrific journeys in the history of exploration. He had been ill for some years. Mawson was born in England in 1882, and moved to Sydney with his family in 1884. He was a great leader with immense courage and resourcefulness. It took weeks, but he finally reached the base and was saved. This was the last day in the life of a heroic man that changed the way we think about Antarctica! Landmarks named after Douglas Mawson. During the first busy year in Adélie Land, when the Hut was full of life and work, there were few moments for reflection. Sir Douglas Mawson is one of Australia's best known Antarctic explorers. Born in England on 5 May 1882, Mawson migrated to … He had been ill for some years. Mawson … Mawson arrived alone, his colleague having died from what experts now believe was poisoning from consumption of Husky dog liver. He attended this school until he graduated in 1899. A year later a ship arrived to get the 6 men and Mawson. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Douglas-Mawson, Australian Dictionary of Biography - Sir Douglas Mawson, Douglas Mawson - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Douglas Mawson - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). His face appears on the $100 note and his picture has appeared on stamps. Douglas Mawson died of a cerebral haemorrhage at his home in Brighton, South Australia on 14 October 1958. Mawson died in 1958. His contribution to our … Sir Douglas was the author of many scientific papers and the famous book The Home of the Blizzard (1915). Douglas Mawson Mawson was born in Yorkshire, .. What he did know, however, was that Antarctica held great potential for Australia. Douglas Mawson . Excerpt from Mawson the Survivor (1982). So. -Douglas Mawson Unlike many of Mawson’s historic counterparts in the Heroic age of Antarctic Exploration, Mawson was known for his drive to explore without the claim to glory other men of the era strived for. I did my term 3 project on Sir Douglas Mawson, who is a Artic explorer and geologist. One of Australia’s greatest Antarctic explorers, Douglas Mawson was responsible for one of the most extreme survival stories of all time. In 1911, Sir Douglas discovered and mapped 1000 miles of new Antarctic coastline, examined the geology of the continent, discovered King George V land, and greatly enriched scientific knowledge of the Antarctic. In 1921 he was appointed Professor of Geology at Adelaide University. Here, Mawson is pictured with his fellow students. However, he did not discard his geological specimens. Sir Douglas Mawson, the unsung hero of Antarctica, gets his due at last This article is more than 7 years old A biography of Sir Douglas Mawson tells how he … Sir Douglas commanded two more expeditions to the Antarctic in 1929 and 1930-31. On January 7 1913, Douglas Mawson stood alone as he looked over the blizzard-swept ice of Antarctica. Appointed by Mawson as the official photographer of the 1911–14 expedition, Hurley … He was a man of science, onset with the noble … Mertz died on the way and Mawson walked on alone. Founded in 1850, it is Australia’s oldest university as well as its largest. 1930. Credit: Frank Hurley courtesy of NLA. Douglas Mawson's tragic Antarctic trek. Mawson, a base in Australian Antarctic Territory, commemorates his discovery in 1930 of MacRobertson Land, on whose fringe it lies.He planned a fourth expedition to the Antarctic in 1946, but later retired from it. "Future generations of Australians will look back on his life as a source of inspiration.". 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