King George Land

Map of King George Land showing the region explored during Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914. Commonwealth Bay and Cape Denison are at the far left. Mawson's most easterly point is below Cape Freshfield between longitude 151 and 152 degrees. Both the outward and return routes are shown, with dates indicated.

Douglas Mawson's expedition comprised a number of small parties which explored new ground in the Antarctic region south of Australia. The Frenchman Dumont D'Urville in 1839 had skirted this coast and the American Charles Wilkes was in the area that same summer. Carsten Borchgrevink had established a base at Cape Adare further east during 1898-1900. The aim of Mawson's expedition was scientific study; there would be no attempt made on the South Pole, although his Southern party under Bage would attempt to reach the South Magnetic Pole in pursuit of magnetic studies. Cecil Madigan's Eastern Coastal party discovered the extent of the ice tongues which projected miles out to sea from glaciers that Mawson and his party had crossed nearer their origin. Madigan's party crossed the Mertz Glacier tongue 15 miles (approximately 24 kilometres) from the nearest coast and the Ninnis Glacier Tongue 70 miles (112 kilometres) from the closest solid land. They also discovered a magnificent organ-pipe formation in the cliff at Horn Bluff.

However, the scientific results of all the exploration parties and the year long collection of specimens and data at Cape Denison were overshadowed by the tragedy that befell Mawson and his two companions. On 13 December 1912 Belgrave Ninnis, who was driving the second sledge, fell down a crevasse: Man, dogs and the sledge with all its supplies and equipment were lost from sight and beyond the reach of Mawson and Xavier Mertz. With the weaker dog team remaining to them, no dog food and few supplies, Mawson and Mertz began the 500 kilometre (310 miles) journey back to base. They killed the dogs as they weakened; the meat fed them and the other dogs. Mertz died on 7 January. Mawson was alone and still 160 kilometres (100 miles) from safety. His body was showing all the effects of the inadequate food supply, but he cut down the sledge using a pocket knife and struggled on. Only his determination kept Mawson going. He overcame several falls down crevasses and finally, on 29 January, he found a food bag left by a search party that very morning. This gave him sufficient strength to reach a depot established just over 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the main base. Here Mawson found more food and waited out a blizzard that lasted for a week, before finally being able to reach the safety of the hut at Cape Denison and the men who had chosen to stay behind to look for him.

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