Campbell Island, Lonely Sub-Antarctic Outpost

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 5

Campbell Island, Lonely Sub-Antarctic Outpost

(By

JOHN SQUIBB)

JN the gale-swept waters of the Sub-Antarctic stands a lonely island, battered by hurricanes, perpetually enveloped in low cloud and boasting of the doubtful record of 330 rain-days a year. The nearest land is the Auckland Island group, 180 miles to the north-west and Macquarie Island, Australia’s Sub-Antarctic counterpart to Campbell Island, which lies 400 miles west of Campbell Island and 1000 miles south-east of Melbourne.

In 1810, Campbell and Company, of Sydney, sent their brig Perseverence, under Captain F. Hassalbourgh, to search for seal islands. The result was the discovery of Macquarie Island so named after the Governor of New South Wales at that time, and Campbell Island, named after the ship-owner.

The vessel itself, Perseverance, had its name perpetuated by the present name of the main harbour.

However, the voyage ended tragically when Captain Hasselbourgh and two others lost their lives while sailing a small boat two miles off the coast.

One of the strong gusts of wind, for which the region is notorious, struck the boat broadside; the boat filled with water and sank. Three of the six-man crew swam to shore. Since then the island has claimed another 10 lives by drowning. Seals Slaughtered

Sealers commenced to reap a rich reward from the island’s seal population. Vessels left part of their crew ashore to kill and skin fur seals. These men were mainly left to fend for themselves and must have suffered extreme hardships while they awaited the return of their ships. It is known that in some cases their presence was forgotten, either accidentally or purposely, with tragic consequences.

It is estimated that the slaughter of seals continued at the rate of 100,000 a year until 1830, after which, with the declining population, sealing was no longer economic. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the island was declared a wild life sanctuary and since then all inhabitants have led an unmolested existence.

During the rest of the nineteenth century, whalers worked periodically from the the island and the try pots they used for bailing down the blubber to obtain the valuable whale oil can still be seen at North-east Harbour today. Several Antarctic expeditions, including one led by John Baieny, the pioneer of discovery on the Antarctic continent in 1838, called at the Island during this period. Trial As Sheep Run

Campbell Island was leased to a sheep-grazing syndicate in 1895. A hardy breed of Lincoln and Romney sheep was imported but the rugged topography and the dank peaty soils were not conducive to raising a good crop of wool. Shepherds were left in charge of the flocks and were often isolated for two or three years at a time. Theirs must have been a lonely, miserable existence, for other than supplies of flour and salt, they were virtually forced to live off the land. Their diet would have been mutton stews, a few green vegetables in the short summer period, roast Royal Albatross, no doubt, and seal meat The fact that the island was a wild life sanctuary at this time is unlikely to have deterred hungry shepherds. Abandoned In 1927 Distance from markets was another factor against sheep farming and the raising of freight costs of the twenties finally spelt the end of the project. The last shepherds were left on the island in 1927 and forgotten until someone remembered in 1931 that they were there. A ship was dispatched and arrived just as the men were commencing their mid-day meal. Food was forgotten in the mad scramble to get aboard ship. When the island was reinhabited again in 1941, the remains of the lunch could still be seen. The sheep left to wander wild have since developed into an unkempt, poorquality variety. It is known that the farm was abandoned in 1931, when it had approximately 3500 sheep. Because of the rugged climate and lack of attention, lambing percentages have dropped to about 15 per cent Also, since the war-time Cape Expedition days in 1941-1945 the men on the island have shot the sheep, this being the

main source of fresh meat until recently, with the result that the island sheep population has dwindled to an estimated 900. If the mutton is hung for two weeks after killing so as to lose its sour tang, and then cooked slowly for at least six hours, it will provide an excellent meal.

Coast Watching In the black war days of 1941, anxiety was expressed that enemy ships might use uninhabited islands, such as Campbell, for refuelling bases. The New Zealand Government dispatched a small team of military and scientific personnel to keep a coast watch for any enemy activity. No infiltration was detected but the presence of men was not' a wasted effort as the basis was established for future scientific observation in meteorology, the ionosphere, and ornithology. At the conclusion of the war, the island was taken over and administered by the New Zealand Government The war-time activities were developed and enlarged, and today Campbell and Macquarie form a valuable link in the chain of weather stations around the world. The information provided by these two islands is particularly valuable in forecasting the movements of southwesterly airstreams and associated cold fronts across New Zealand. As well as weather information, island staff, usually numbering 10 men, observe and process the movement of ionospheric layers, track satellites, evaluate magnetic observations and study and record the movements and habits of the island’s extensive bird life.

Windy And Cloudy The climate of the island, although extremely windy, has one or two redeeming factors. It is particularly healthy, the ventilation and cool temperatures are no

encouragement to diseasecarrying bacteria and because of the island’s size and geographic position, there is little variation in temperature, the mid-winter mean being 39 degrees Farenheit and mid-summer 48 degrees Farenheit Sunshine hours are low, 650 a year. That is less than two hours a day, compared with Sydney’s 2500 hours a year and 1900 hours in Christchurch. The wind blows at gale force, that is 40 miles an hour or stronger, on an average of six days a month.

Geologically, the island is of volcanic origin, carrying

a peaty soil, in places of considerable depth. This soil carries a tundra-type vegetation of rough tussock grassland, scrub, generally of a dense nature at lower levels and gradually thinning out and disappearing completely above 1000 feet. There are no trees because of the strong winds and the plant life is spasmodic, being a mixture of indigenous and exotic species. Both types

have suffered through the ravages of sheep and burning off.

Whales frequent the waters of the Island during their migration in late winter and spring. The Right whale, the most valuable type in the old whaling days mainly through the large amount of oil they yield, is by far the most common variety. After the ruthless hunting of the species last century, they are now protected. Other sea mammals found include the sea lion, fur seals, sea elephants and sea leopards. The leopard is only rarely found. It is a mammal that enjoys solitude and, unlike the other types, is equally at home on land as in the water. However, movement on land is hardly rapid; it is made by a series of arches of the body in a snaking movement. The species is noted for its ferocity, its long line of razorlike teeth being a feature. It feeds on seals, penguins and the bird life.

Sea Elephants

The most populous mammal is the sea elephant

Every September they return from the sea, the females to have their pups and males to herd them into harems. Each bull elephant jealously guards and fights to maintain his acquired girl friends. Many savage battles are witnesed as late-comers endeavour to appropriate the holdings of the entrenched. Most harems average about 12 cows. Three weeks after giving birth and weaning the pups, the cows again become impregnated. The gestation period is forty-nine weeks, so the cows will return the following year at practically the same date. After the breeding season, the adult males and cows leave the island, the one

and two-year-olds return in early November, the submatured species in December and the mature bulls, known as beach-masters because of their great-size—about three to four tons—return in Janu-ary-February, all to shed their coats in the peaty wallows. By the end of April all the elephants have returned to the ocean and the same cycle is repeated next season.

Abounding Bird Life

Campbell Island is rich in bird life, penguins, petrels, shags, skuas, terns and gulls breeding and abounding. The bird that has attracted most attention from ornithologists and naturalists, however, is the albatross, 13 species of which are known. Five, the wandering, sooty, black browed mollyhawk, white capped mollyhawk and Royal, are found and breed on Campbell Island. The scarred windy island terrain provides the world’s main breeding ground for the Royal albatross, one of nature’s finest sea birds. Eulogised by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem of the Ancient Mariner, wherein sailors wantonly killed one and brought a curse of bad luck to the ship and its crew, the albatross is still today a sacred legend to seafarers. The bird has a wing-span of an average of 10 feet, weighs 20 pounds and has a beak Of eight inches. They domicile themselves on protected slopes above the scrub line, the female living on the nest to protect the egg. After the chick is hatched, the parents take turns at caring for it while the other goes fishing for food. The parent on return feeds the chick by regurgatation. After five weeks the chicks are left unprotected by its parents, but it is not until after eight weeks that they are able to fly and completely fend for themselves. For the next six years they circle the globe, where exactly is still not known, although several species banded on Campbell Island have been found on the coast of Chile, 6000 miles The Royal Albatross returns to its birth place in its seventh or eighth year, and spends its remaining years travelling to and from its home. The Royal albatross has a considerable life span; nine per cent live to the age of 25 years or more; one has been found which was banded 35 years ago, and it is thought that a few could live to twice this age.

Comfortable Quarters

Today, Campbell Island is a modern, commodious and well-appointed weather station. Until 1941, the island was noted more for those who didn’t survive its rigorous elements, but today everyone lives in comfort in a cen-trally-heated hostel, where each man has a wellappointed room to himself. The impression made on all who are fortunate enough to spend a year here is considerable. Far away from the rat race of modern life with its time clocks, mechanised transport, financial problems, the one upmanship Of the affluent state, and the ugly suburban sprawl, one cannot help but reflect on the price of progress as one sees the wonders of the bird life, observes an Aurora Australis, hears the thunder of the surf crashing against the stark cliffs,, or listens to the albatross cries as they whirl through the sky.