Australia, the International Geophysical Year and the 1959 Antarctic Treaty

Australia's experience of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in Antarctica (1957-8) tempers the dominant narrative of the IGY as a transformative event in Antarctic affairs. This article argues that the IGY was not a great rupture in Australia's relationship with Antarctica. Rather,...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Australian Journal of Politics & History
Main Author: Antonello, A
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: WILEY 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11343/167238
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000328650200003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=d4d813f4571fa7d6246bdc0dfeca3a1c
https://doi.org/10.1111/ajph.12031
Description
Summary:Australia's experience of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in Antarctica (1957-8) tempers the dominant narrative of the IGY as a transformative event in Antarctic affairs. This article argues that the IGY was not a great rupture in Australia's relationship with Antarctica. Rather, because of a long cultural attachment to and continuing relationship with Antarctica based in concepts of national security and development, Australian government policy stubbornly adhered to the idea of territorial sovereignty. Recognising this continuity in Australia's relationship with Antarctica is important for reconfiguring our understanding of how the Antarctic Treaty took the form it did. © 2013 School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics, School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.