Antarctic and Southern Ocean Meteorology (continued)

I collaborated with Alan and Aub in the production of the three-volume report published by the Antarctic Division, Department of External Affairs (Gibbs, Gotley and Martin, 1952). The first of the three volumes contained the 1948–49 surface and upper air observations. The second contained synoptic charts for that period and the third contained a general description of the topography of the islands, discussion of synoptic features of the Southern Ocean and an indication of the climate as revealed by the observations.

1947 saw rekindled interest in the Antarctic, with a focus on territorial ambitions. Pre-war sovereignty claims had been made by Britain, Australia, France and South American countries. Australia's claim was one of the largest.

From the early 1800s sealers from the US had been active in the Southern Ocean and in 1839 Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, a scientist and mathematician, sailed along the ice pack between 90 deg E and 180 degrees making meteorological, hydrographic and magnetic observations. Matthew Fontaine Maury, US Navy, a major contributor to research in meteorology and oceanography whose interest in international scientific collaboration contributed to the birth of the IMO, co-operated with the German Georg von Neumayer in organising the International Polar Year 1882–1883, which, as we shall see in later chapters, was the forerunner of the International Geophysical Year in the 1950s.

Heard Island was discovered by the American Captain John J. Heard on 25 November 1853 on a voyage from Boston to Melbourne. Heard had sailed a more southerly route on the advice of Captain Maury to take advantage of the great circle route. The British Admiralty disputed the US claim, pointing out that the island had been sighted by Captain John Biscoe in 1831 and by Captain Peter Kemp in 1833.

Aeroplanes were first used in the Antarctic when Captain Richard E. Byrd flew to Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf on 15 January 1929, to be followed by Flight Lieutenant Stuart Campbell, RAAF, who flew his float plane over the Antarctic pack ice. This historic flight was made from the ship Discovery of the British-Australian-New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition headed by Sir Douglas Mawson. Stuart Campbell is mentioned in the wartime recollections of Allan Cornish (1996) and was the first leader of the ANARE in 1946.

Bureau of Meteorology