Happy Birthday Scott Base!

Happy Birthday Scott Base!

Today, Antarctica New Zealand and the Antarctic community celebrate the 58th anniversary of Scott Base, establishing New Zealand's permanent residence in Antarctica.

While New Zealand boasts more than 100 years of history connecting the city of Christchurch to the frozen continent through the early polar explorers, the proposal for a New Zealand base in Antarctica was presented to the New Zealand Government by the New Zealand Antarctic Society in 1953.

The construction of Scott Base began in 1956 to support the Trans-Antarctic Expedition and International Geophysical Year of 1956-1959. A complex of six buildings was designed to be connected by covered walkways with each building no less than 7.6 metres apart.

The central 'A’ Hut was planned to include the mess, radio room and leader’s office and was considered the most important building of the base. The 'A' Hut was erected in Wellington and public viewing was encouraged for a small fee. Each of the buildings was then systematically dismantled and packed in reverse order to assist in its reconstruction at Scott Base. Two ships, the HMNZS Endeavour and the US Navy Ship Private John R. Towle were used to transport the materials south.

On 10 January 1957, a D8 bulldozer from McMurdo station and a team of Seabees levelled the site where Scott Base now stands. The following day the construction team comprising the eight men who had assembled the buildings in Wellington, set up tents on site. On 12 January, the assembling of ‘A’ Hut began where railway sleepers and a raft of Oregon pine formed the platform on which the building stood.

At precisely 1300 hrs on 20 January 1957, Captain Ruegg, then Administrator of the Ross Dependency, made a short speech before the New Zealand flag was raised for the very first time in Antarctica by the youngest man aboard the Endeavour, 20-year-old Able Seaman Ramon Tito. In attendance were Sir Edmund Hillary, Captain Kirkwood of the Endeavour, Admiral Dufek, Captain Weiss of the USNS Private John R. Towle, photographers and journalists.

"Scott Base has been, and continues to be, a home away from home for many hundreds of New Zealanders. That's why it is important we celebrate the history of these buildings through which many of us share such fond memories," said Antarctica New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Beggs.

"Scott Base now has the capacity to accommodate up to 85 people at any one time and over an average summer season will support around 11,500 person-days on Base".

Over the past 58 years our scientists, in collaboration with many other nations, have confirmed Antarctica is changing at an accelerated pace. As such, by maintaining our presence on ice, and supporting internationally peer-reviewed science, we will be able to learn more about what this means for New Zealand and our families."

This week marks the beginning of the $4 million upgrade of the Hillary Field Centre to support New Zealand's expanding science and environmental programmes. These facilities are being significantly improved through the provision of the new building. The improvements will enable Antarctica New Zealand to support larger-scale field events, thus ensuring Scott Base remains a world-class Antarctic research facility.

ENDS

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