Douglas Mawson: Antarctic Legend and Brand-New Polar Ship

Emma Burridge – November 2025

Sir Douglas Mawson

Sir Douglas Mawson (1882 – 1958) stands as one of Australia’s (albeit being born in England) greatest scientific explorers. He was a geologist, physicist, and expedition leader whose work transformed our understanding of Antarctica. His legacy is marked by extraordinary feats of endurance as well as significant scientific achievements.

Mawson first ventured to Antarctica in 1907 when he joined Sir Ernest Shackleton’s British Antarctic Expedition (1907 – 1909) as the expedition physicist. Read more about Shackleton and his Antarctic legacy here.

During this mission, Mawson helped achieve several early polar milestones. He was among the first to climb Mount Erebus – an active volcano in Antarctica – and, alongside two others, was the first to reach the magnetic South Pole. Using a dip needle, the team discovered that the magnetic South Pole is actually constantly moving in a 32km circular path, thus the team completed their mission at the centre point of this circle.

Mount Erebus – an active volcano in the Ross Sea

The Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911 – 1914)

This first remarkable expedition with Shackleton ignited Mawson’s ambition to return as a leader of his own Antarctic expedition. He wished to conduct a detailed examination of more than 3,000km of the East Antarctic coast – the region due south of Australia. This became the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) which consisted of 18 men.

They departed Hobart on the ship Aurora in December of 1911 and arrived in a broad Antarctic inlet that Mawson named Commonwealth Bay in March of 1912. The crew went ashore at Cape Denison and spent the autumn and winter building the main base for the AAE – essentially just a hut and a cluster of outbuildings. Despite more than a century of freezing conditions and brutal winds, these structures still stand today (although they have been reinforced) and are known as Mawson’s Huts. In recognition of their significance, they were added to the National Heritage List in 2005.

In early November of 1912, six sledging parties of three men each set out from Cape Denison on explorative journeys of varying length. Mawson’s party included himself, Lieutenant Belgrave Ninnis, and Dr Xavier Mertz. Their mission was to map the coastline east of Cape Denison, which would be a round trip of 1,500km.

500km and a month into their journey, on the 14^th of December 1912, Ninnis fell into a hidden crevasse at least 50m deep. He took most of the food supplies and several of their huskies with him, thus destroying their ability to complete their planned loop and jeopardising their ability to get home. Shocked and depleted, Mawson and Mertz began the trek back to base, but with rations that would last 10 days for a journey that would take at least 30. Starvation forced Mawson and Mertz to eat their remaining huskies, unaware that their livers contained toxic levels of Vitamin A. Mertz grew increasingly ill and died on the 8^th of January 1913, likely due to Vitamin A poisoning and severe malnutrition.

Crevasse in an Antarctic Glacier

Now alone and still 100km from base, Mawson cut his sledge in half and loaded it with the bare essentials in a desperate attempt to make it back alive. On one occasion, a blizzard trapped him in a cave for a week. On another, he fell into a crevasse only to be saved by his sledge getting stuck. He then climbed 5m of rope to safety despite exhaustion, sickness and near starvation. His survival was only possible due to stumbling across food depots that a search party from the base had left behind.

After 30 gruelling days of dragging himself back to the base at Cape Denison, Mawson arrived to see the expedition relief ship, the Aurora, sailing off into the distance. Despite waiting an additional month in the hopes the lost party would make it back in time, the Aurora had to leave before the winter ice closed in – and Mawson had missed it by mere hours.

Fortunately, 6 men had remained behind in the hope that Mawson’s party would return. Together, the 7 of them endured 10 bitterly cold winter months at the base before they could return to Australia.

Emperor Penguin in the Ross Sea

Mawson and the AAE’s Enduring Legacy

Despite the hardship and loss, the AAE achieved extraordinary scientific success. The team had explored more than 6,300km of mainland Antarctica as well as Macquarie Island, collecting data so extensive that it filled 22 volumes when published in 1947. Mawson was knighted not long after his return to Australia.

However, his contributions to Australia’s Antarctic knowledge didn’t stop there. Across the summers of 1929 and 1930, Mawson led the British, Australian, New Zealand Antarctic Research Expeditions (BANZARE). During these voyages, he claimed 42% of Antarctica for the British – sovereignty that was later transferred to Australia in 1936. This resulted in the creation of the Australian Antarctic Territory, the largest national claim on the continent.

Sir Douglas Mawson died in 1958, but his legacy continues to inspire scientists and explorers. His pioneering contributions to scientific discovery earned him a place on the first ever Australian $100 banknote, issued in 1984 – a fitting tribute to one of Australia’s greatest explorers.

You can read Mawson’s first hand account of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition in his book, The Home of the Blizzard. It’s available to purchase from Mawson’s Huts Foundation here.

Sir Douglas Mawson on the first Australian $100 banknote

Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson

In a tribute to this great explorer, Aurora Expeditions is launching a brand-new ship named the Douglas Mawson. She is a modern, purpose-built small ship designed for polar exploration, joining sister ships Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle.

Accommodating 130 guests to the polar regions, the Douglas Mawson features an extensive range of cabins as well as a host of amenities to help you connect with like-minded travellers and elevate your time onboard. She features a heated outdoor swimming pool, sun beds, two Jacuzzis, a gym, a Citizen Science Centre, two restaurants and multiple observation areas.

The Hut Restaurant

Citizen Science Centre

Pool and Jacuzzi on top deck

Sauna

Observation Lounge

Balcony Stateroom

Click on the button below for our dedicated Douglas Mawson ship page to see dates, prices and itineraries for her next 3 Antarctic seasons, as well as more detailed ship information.

We are lucky enough to be joining her inaugural cruise from Sydney to Hobart before she begins her journey to Antarctica. Her maiden Antarctic season is particularly symbolic, with the itineraries focussed on East Antarctica and exploring the regions that Mawson himself explored.

Although the 2025/26 Antarctic season is now almost upon us, there are still a small number of available cabins on the Ross Sea Odyssey and Epic Antarctica voyages departing from Dunedin, New Zealand in January and February of 2026. If you are flexible to travel and are interested in joining either of these voyages on the Douglas Mawson, give us a call on 1300 784 794. You can currently save up to 15% off these voyages too, so now is the time to book. Click below to see 2025/26 season dates, prices and itineraries aboard the Douglas Mawson.

However, if the 2025/26 season doesn’t give you enough time to prepare, the Greg Mortimer is also offering itineraries to the Ross Sea and East Antarctica on her 2026/27 season. This way, you can still explore the stunning areas that Mawson once travelled to but with a little more time to plan and book. You can explore the full 2026/27 season, itineraries and prices for Greg Mortimer on our dedicated ship page.

Douglas Mawson

Greg Mortimer