Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958
When the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition 19551958 advance party sailed from the Millwall Docks in November 1955, bound for the Weddell Sea, their departure was the product of five years of intensive effort on the part of Vivian Fuchs to achieve the first overland crossing of the Antarctic co...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/86394 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:86394 2023-05-15T13:37:23+02:00 Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 Mein Smith, PL Hicks, S Storey, B 2013 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/86394 en eng Cambridge University Press http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 Mein Smith, PL and Hicks, S and Storey, B, Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958, Polar Record, 49, (1) pp. 50-61. ISSN 0032-2474 (2013) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/86394 History and Archaeology Historical Studies New Zealand History Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 2019-12-13T21:50:27Z When the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition 19551958 advance party sailed from the Millwall Docks in November 1955, bound for the Weddell Sea, their departure was the product of five years of intensive effort on the part of Vivian Fuchs to achieve the first overland crossing of the Antarctic continent. This paper investigates the many obstacles that had to be overcome leading up to Theron sailing and explains the manner in which they were overcome by the Fuchs-Wordie-Clifford triumvirate. The British Foreign Office was particularly opposed to the expedition with the office's focus on sovereignty rather than science while an alternative proposal from Duncan Carse raised a unique set of difficulties. The withdrawal from involvement by the Scott Polar Research Institute Director, Colin Bertram, indicated further disaffection. Most important, if political and financial goals were to be met, was the need for participation by several Commonwealth countries of which New Zealand was the essential partner. Fortunately, the vigorous efforts of a few Antarctic enthusiasts in New Zealand were successful in moving their government to assert its long dormant position in the Ross Dependency. New Zealand's commitment turned the tide of commonwealth apathy towards the TAE. Although the TAE preceded the IGY, events, including the dominating IGY presence of the United States, caused the two projects to become tightly interwoven. For these reasons the years leading up to the departure of Theron were as intriguing as the crossing journey itself. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Polar Record Ross Dependency Scott Polar Research Institute Weddell Sea eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Antarctic Clifford ENVELOPE(-63.167,-63.167,-70.467,-70.467) Fuchs ENVELOPE(-68.666,-68.666,-67.233,-67.233) New Zealand Ross Dependency ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,-60.000,-60.000) The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Wordie ENVELOPE(-67.500,-67.500,-69.167,-69.167) Polar Record 49 1 50 61 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
History and Archaeology Historical Studies New Zealand History |
spellingShingle |
History and Archaeology Historical Studies New Zealand History Mein Smith, PL Hicks, S Storey, B Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
topic_facet |
History and Archaeology Historical Studies New Zealand History |
description |
When the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition 19551958 advance party sailed from the Millwall Docks in November 1955, bound for the Weddell Sea, their departure was the product of five years of intensive effort on the part of Vivian Fuchs to achieve the first overland crossing of the Antarctic continent. This paper investigates the many obstacles that had to be overcome leading up to Theron sailing and explains the manner in which they were overcome by the Fuchs-Wordie-Clifford triumvirate. The British Foreign Office was particularly opposed to the expedition with the office's focus on sovereignty rather than science while an alternative proposal from Duncan Carse raised a unique set of difficulties. The withdrawal from involvement by the Scott Polar Research Institute Director, Colin Bertram, indicated further disaffection. Most important, if political and financial goals were to be met, was the need for participation by several Commonwealth countries of which New Zealand was the essential partner. Fortunately, the vigorous efforts of a few Antarctic enthusiasts in New Zealand were successful in moving their government to assert its long dormant position in the Ross Dependency. New Zealand's commitment turned the tide of commonwealth apathy towards the TAE. Although the TAE preceded the IGY, events, including the dominating IGY presence of the United States, caused the two projects to become tightly interwoven. For these reasons the years leading up to the departure of Theron were as intriguing as the crossing journey itself. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mein Smith, PL Hicks, S Storey, B |
author_facet |
Mein Smith, PL Hicks, S Storey, B |
author_sort |
Mein Smith, PL |
title |
Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
title_short |
Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
title_full |
Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
title_fullStr |
Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 |
title_sort |
against all odds: the birth of the commonwealth trans-antarctic expedition, 1955-1958 |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/86394 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-63.167,-63.167,-70.467,-70.467) ENVELOPE(-68.666,-68.666,-67.233,-67.233) ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,-60.000,-60.000) ENVELOPE(-67.500,-67.500,-69.167,-69.167) |
geographic |
Antarctic Clifford Fuchs New Zealand Ross Dependency The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Wordie |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Clifford Fuchs New Zealand Ross Dependency The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Wordie |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Polar Record Ross Dependency Scott Polar Research Institute Weddell Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Polar Record Ross Dependency Scott Polar Research Institute Weddell Sea |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 Mein Smith, PL and Hicks, S and Storey, B, Against All Odds: The Birth of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958, Polar Record, 49, (1) pp. 50-61. ISSN 0032-2474 (2013) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/86394 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247411000660 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
49 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
50 |
op_container_end_page |
61 |
_version_ |
1766090983661895680 |