Antarctic veteran

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 2

Antarctic veteran

The last survivor of the first men to spend a winter on the Antarctic Continent, Mr H. Blackwall Evans, was 96 on Thursday. He was one of the 10 members of Borchgrevink’s Southern Cross expedition of 18981900, who landed at Cape Adare on February 17, 1899. Mr Evans now lives in Vermilion, Canada. He was bom in Bristol, England, and went to Canada at the age of 17. He worked on a farm, then spent several years hunting and travelling in Western Canada. In 1897 he returned to England, later went to Australia and joined a sealing expedition from Melbourne to Kerguelen Island. Mr Evans went to Antarctica as assistant zoologist to Nicolai Hanson, who died during the winter and is buried on Cape Adare. The Southern Cross sailed for the Antarctic from Hobart. When she brought the expedition back she called first at Stewart .Island and then Bluff.

Mr Evans hoped to join Scott’s first expedition in 1901, but because of a series of delays returned to Canada. He took up farming and eventually retired in Vermilion.

Demonstration.— A. demonstration march in the cause of conservation will be held in Wellington at lunchtime on Wednesday, followed by a public meeting of the raising of Lake Manapouri in the Civic Square, Wellington. Young peoples' groups from the. Junior National Party to the Progressive Youth Movement have organised the demonstration.—(P.A.)