MAWSON EXPEDITION

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1930, Page 5

MAWSON EXPEDITION

CONDITIONS IN ANTARCTIC. SEA TEEMING WITH LIFE. Many interesting aspects of the expedition led by Sir Douglas Mawson to the Antarctic regions during the past summer were touched on by Mr. R. A. Falla, an ornithologist with the expedition, at the weekly luncheon meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club. The difference between the three expeditions which operated in Antarctic Regions during 1929-30 was explained by Mr. Falla, who stated that exploits of the party led by Rear-Admiral Byrd were well known. The primary object of this expedition was the flight over the South Pole. Sir Hubert Wilkins also led a flying expedition, but it had confined its activities to the Weddel Sea area. The Mawson party had gone for scientific rather than geographic purposes. In many respects the Antarctic regions differed from, the Arctic, the main difference being that at the North Pole there was a permanent floating ice-cap, but practically no land within the Arctic Circle. On this account Sir Hubert ■Wilkins was justified in assuming that he could reach the pole by submarine. In Antarctica there was a continent larger* than Australia, rising, to an elevated plauteau 10,000 feet above sea level in the centre. The pole was situated in this bleak, wind-swept plateau, the- winds on which affected climates in southern tempera-te zones. Meteorological observations in this area would be of help to weather forecasting. The Mawson expedition was originally called the British, Australian and New Zealand Expedition, 1929-30. It was British because the English Government had placed at its disposal the ship Discovery, which, was used by -Captain Scott’s first party in 1900. The vessel was strongly built of three kinds of timber, the principal being English oak, and the total thickness of the hull was at no part less than 33in. while the bows' were over 6ft. thick, and were reinforced with steel. The expedition was' Australian because Sir Douglas Mawson had chosen a staff of Australian scientists, while New Zealand had,contributed money and two scientists, Mr. R.' G. Simmers, of . the Government Meteorological Office at Wellington, and Mr. Falla, who had been selected because of his experience of bird life on the New Zealand coast.

The party had spent the summer in the ice-pack on the coast of Antarctica, and had carried out scientific rather than geographic work. A Gipsy-Moth seaplane had been carried and had been in l the care of two members of the Royal Australian Air Force. It had made 18 flights. • A great deal of work had been done in it in a brief time. There was not much to support life on shore along the coastline, but the sea was teeming with interesting life, said Mr. Falla. During the summer, when daylight lasted for the full 24 hours, microscopic plants lived\ on the surface of the ocean and provided food for various Crustacea, on which the larger creatures, such as whales,, penguins and gulls, fed.