May 5, 1882 - Oct. 14, 1958
Overview:
Douglas Mawson typifies those people who endure tremendous suffering to achieve their dreams. His adventures into new territory took Australian science to new peaks.
Country:
Australia
Type
of hero: Trailblazer
Attributes:
Courage, Persistence, Leadership
Biography:
Douglas Mawson was born in England, but emigrated to Australia while just two years of age. He was educated in Sydney. He began his degree studies in engineering although his real academic interest became geology.
His first adventure into field studies was almost his last – on a field trip to the New Hebrides, he slipped and badly damaged his leg. Only the rapid response of a missionary and another local to get him to a naval ship saved his life.
He soon got a job at Adelaide University, where he lectured in Mineralogy and Petrology. Apparently during his field studies in the Flinders Ranges he was most interested in the fact that this area was partly sculptured by glaciers and he dreamt of the land where glaciers still existed. He dreamed of going to Antarctica. When he was 26, he got his chance by joining an expedition headed by the famous British explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Naturally enough, he was keen to study glaciation.
In 1907, he headed off south together with a number of other scientists and explorers. They climbed the active volcano Mt. Erebus as well as later undertaking studies in locating the Magnetic South Pole. This later expedition was especially challenging with Mawsons leadership and navigation finally helping them to get out of the area.
While on a trip to London in 1910, he was approached by Scott who asked him to join his expedition to find the South Pole. Mawson declined. He felt it was a British expedition. He wanted to do some thing that would advance the interests of Australians as well as focusing on scientific research.
Since the Antarctic was the last area on earth to still be unclaimed and unsettled, there were discoveries to be made. He raised the money required, recruited a team, then set sail from Hobart in Tasmania. He was the youngest commander of an expedition of this sort and the crew was young as well.
After winter at the base camp, the expedition split up into smaller groups . Mawson set up with two others, Mertsz and Ninnis. At one point in the trip, Ninnis who was carrying up the rear with a dog sledge and the supplies fell into a deep crevasse. This was unexpected and devastating for Mawson and his companion who had just passed safely over the bridge.
They were close to 500km from base with little food and only one sleeping bag. They had to gradually kill and eat the remaining dogs to survive. Mertz however fell ill on the journey back and also died. It appeared later that his death was related to eating the huskies as their liver created a toxic reaction. Mawson travelled the final 160 kilometres alone. He demonstrated considerable persistence and courage to make it back to the base where he found supplies left by search party, then on to the search party itself.
He was given a hero’s welcome back in Australia - His explorations enabled Australia to claim around 6,475,000 square km of the Antarctic continent. He headed a further joint Australian, British and New Zealand research expedition between 1929nad 1931. He continued to maintain an interest in the Antarctic throughout his life. The main Australian Antarctic Base was named after him.
Citations
& References:
References
Van Oudtshoorn N., (Ed.)1989, Famous Australians. Bay Books , NSW, Australia
Links:
http://www.south-pole.com/p0000099.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/australians/mawson.htm
http://www.achievers-odds.com.au/main1.htm
Go
back to Great Heroes of the Twentieth Century
