This is the first in a four-year program of stamps celebrating the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE). The series will be made up of five stamps issued each year until 2014 using the overall themes of departure and journey, arrival and exploration, science and triumphant return. The initial five stamp strip shows the key moments in the departure of the AAE from Hobart and the journey to the Antarctic.
The SY Aurora was a steam yacht built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. shipbuilders in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876, for the Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing Company. Her primary use was whaling in the northern seas, and she was built sturdily enough to withstand the heavy weather and ice that would be encountered there. That strength proved useful for Antarctic exploration as well, and between 1911 and 1917 she made five trips to the continent, both for exploration as well as rescue missions.The Aurora was last seen in 1917, when she departed Newcastle, New South Wales, bound for Iquique, Chile with a cargo of coal. Lloyd’s of London posted the ship as missing on 2 January 1918; it was believed she was a casualty of World War I. The stamp photograph was taken by expeditioner Xavier Mertz and the map in the stamp shows the AAE’s route.
Captain John King Davis, Captain of the SY Aurora, and second-in-command of the expedition. Born in Surrey, England to James Davis and Marion nee King, he was educated at Colet Court, London, and Burford Grammar School, Oxfordshire. Davis did not have a family of his own, but had an enduring love of the sea and exploration. He made five notable cruises, essential in establishing and relieving the wintering bases at Macquarie Island and, on the Antarctic mainland, at Commonwealth Bay and on the Shackleton Ice Shelf. Described by many as the greatest captain in Antarctic history, his contribution was honoured by the Australian Antarctic Division, naming one of its four permanent Antarctic research stations ‘Davis’, in 1957.
The SY Aurora on Antarctic voyage. The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was an Australasian scientific team that explored part of Antarctica between 1911 and 1914. It was led by the Australian geologist Douglas Mawson, who was knighted for his achievements in leading the expedition. In 1910 he began to plan an expedition to chart the 2000-mile long coastline of Antarctica to the south of Australia. The Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science approved of his plans and contributed substantial funds for the expedition. The remaining funds were raised by public subscription and additional donations. Accomplishments were made in geology, glaciology and terrestrial biology. The stamp photograph was taken by expeditioner Andrew Watson and the postmark image is taken from a message sent by Bob Hodger on the SY Aurora.
Landing at Macquarie Island. The island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica. Since 1948 the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) has maintained a permanent base, the Macquarie Island Station, on the isthmus at the northern end of the island at the foot of Wireless Hill. The population of the base, the island’s only human inhabitants, usually varies from 20 to 40 people over the year.The main photograph was taken by the Aurora’s Second Officer, Percy Gray. The background image, shows the Aurora off Macquarie Island and was taken by expeditioner Frank Hurley.
Birdlife on Macquarie Island. Macquarie Island is home to a large variety of wildlife, including thousands of seals and millions of penguins, and has been designated a World Heritage site. It is a Tasmanian State Reserve and is managed by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service. It is Australia’s Sub-Antarctic jewel. Most of the bird life is represented on the island by four species of penguin: king, royal, gentoo and rockhopper penguins. Other birds include petrels, skua, albatross and ducks. The main photograph was taken by expeditioner Harold Hamilton.
The background landscape image used across the five stamps was taken by expeditioner Leslie Blake and is held in the Home & Away Collection in the SLNSW.
Philatelist Daughter 