The Australasian Antarctic Expedition, under the leadership of Douglas Mawson, left Hobart, Tasmania, on 2 December 1911 in SY Aurora. Members of the expedition were organised into three parties, two in bases established on the Antarctic mainland and the third on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. The Main Party base, under Mawson, was established at Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay, at 67°0'S, 142°40'E. A Far Western party, under Frank Wild, was based on the Shackleton Ice Shelf, at 66°0'S, 100°E. The Macquarie Island base under George Ainsworth, as well as carrying out meteorological and other observations, acted as a wireless relay station connecting the Antarctic to Hobart.
Aurora, the expedition's ship, conducted a series of oceanographic surveys as part of the expedition and was captained by John King Davis, who also acted as the expedition's second-in-command.
Astronomer, assistant magnetician, recorder of tides.
Member of party that remained for second winter, 1913[3] Bage served with the Royal Australian Engineers in the First World War, and died at Gallipoli on 7 May 1915.[4]
Member of party that remained for second winter, 1913[3] Bickerton was selected for Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition as motor engineer, but on the outbreak of war in August 1914 he joined the British army, serving in the Royal Flying Corps.[5]
John Close
40
General duties; assistant collector, member of several sledging parties
Only survivor of party of three sledging to east of base, 1912–13, Ninnis and Mertz having died.[12] Mawson returned to the Antarctic in 1929 and 1931 as leader of BANZARE.[13]
Remained at base during the main sledging journeys.[12] In 1916, Moyes acted as navigator on Aurora during the rescue of the marooned Ross Sea party at the end of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Moyes also participated in BANZARE in 1929–30.[18]
Master of Aurora and second-in-command of the expedition
Davis had been chief officer, and later captain, of Nimrod during Shackleton's 1907–09 expedition. In 1916 he captained Aurora again, during the Ross Sea party rescue mission. In 1929–30 he captained Discovery during the first BANZARE year.[22]
Chief officer, first Antarctic voyage, succeeded by Fletcher.[23]
Crew[]
More than 90 persons are listed by the Australian government's Antarctic Division as serving on Aurora during the duration of the expedition, including the crew that brought the ship from London to Australia in 1911. In general, the crews changed for each of the Antarctic cruises, but a few served on more than one cruise.[26]
Others[]
Mawson names several others who took part in one or more of the Aurora cruises, but were not members of the landing parties: Captain James Davis, a whaling authority; C.C. Eitel, the expedition's secretary; T.T. Flynn, biologist; E.R. Waite, biologist; J. van Waterschoot, marine artist.[20]
"Home of the Blizzard: the People (Denison)". Australian Government: Dept. of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
"Home of the Blizzard: Men of the Aurora". Australian Government: Dept. of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division. 30 October 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
Mawson, Douglas (2008) [1915]. The Home of the Blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914. Oxford: Benediction Classic. ISBN978-1-84902-172-2.