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Birth of Douglas Mawson
Douglas Mawson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire, England on the 5th of May, 1882. Shipley was a quiet little town but Mawson only spent two years there Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
Picture of Shipley sourced from http://www.googleimages.com.au -
Mawson Family migrates to NSW
When he was just two, Mawson migrated with his family to Rooty Hill, Sydney, Australia. It was here that he attended school. Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
Map of Rooty Hill sourced from http://www.googleimages.com.au -
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Douglas Mawson's School Years
Douglas Mawson attended Rooty Hill and Fort Street Model Schools, which were both in Sydney. -
Douglas Mawson attends University
Mawson studied mining engineering at the University of Sydney between 1902 and 1905. Here, Mawson is pictured with his fellow students.
Sources: Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
Riffenburgh, B. 2008. Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Exlporer Bloomsbury, London -
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The geological surveys of New Hebrides
Douglas Mawson to six months off study to conduct several geological surveys of New Hebrides (Vanuatu) in 1903. -
Douglas Mawson is made lecturer of Minerology and Petrology
In 1905, Douglas Mawson became the Head Lecturer in Minerology and Petrology at the University of Adelaide. Sources: Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Douglas Mawson's first Antarctic Expedition
Douglas Mawson helped Ernest Shackleton assemble a polar team and accompanied them as the team's Physicist. They did this aboard a ship called the Nimrod (pictured). Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
Riffenburgh, B. 2008. Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Exlporer Bloomsbury, London -
Mawson leads his own Antarctic Expedition
In 1912, Mawson set up his own expedition to the South Pole with help from Doctor Xavier Mertz and Lieutenant Belgrave Ninnis. These men were also members of his trek team for the short 10 week Antarctic summer. Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Ninnis first to die on Expedition
On this day, Belgrave Ninnis died after falling down a deep crevasse. He took the six best dogs and most of the food with him. This only made it harder for Mawson and Mertz to survive. Sources: Riffenburgh, B. 2008. Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Exlporer Bloomsbury, London,
The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourn -
Mertz experiences Vitamin A poisoning
Today, Xavier Mertz fell ill with Vitamin A poisoning. It made him act in a strange manner. This made him bite of his finger and this contributed to his death as he lost alot of blood. Because of this, Mawson had to stop and this slowed him down alot.
Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Xavier Mertz dies
In the early hours of the morning on January 7, 1913, Xavier Mertz dies from Vitamin A poisoning and loss of blood. Mawson is now alone. He saws his sled in half to make it lighter and easier to drag.
Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
Riffenburgh, B. 2008. Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Exlporer Bloomsbury, London -
The Return of Douglas Mawson to The Hut
Unrecognisable because of starvation and frostbite, Mawson staggered in to the protection of the Expedition's base called "The Hut" in the evening of the 8th of February, 1913. Sources: Sources: Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Douglas Mawson Marries Paquita Delprat
Sir Douglas Mawson was married to his fiancee Paquita Delprat in the Holy Trinity Church of England Balaclava, Victoria. This happened just before he was knighted. Sources: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Sir Douglas Mawson is knighted
On this day, Douglas Mawson became Sir Douglas Mawson as he received a British Knighthood. This was a huge milestone in his career and for Australian explorers. Source: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Sir Douglas Mawson joins the Military
Sir Douglas Mawson joined the British Munitions Department and was appointed embarkation officer for high explosives and poisonous gas to Russia.
Sources: http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
http://www.googleimages.com.au -
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Douglas Mawson is made Professor
Sir Douglas Mawson is appointed Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Adelaide. -
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Mawson leads Commonwealth Antarctic Research Expedition
Douglas Mawson convinced the Government to fund the first Commonwealth Antarctic Research Expeditions. These expeditions mapped much of the coastline and conducted a lot of marine science. The Government established the Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act of 1933 because of Mawson's good work. Sources: http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
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Mawson supports Australian National Research Expeditions
Afer the end of WW2, Mawson continued to work with all the Australian National Antarctic Expeditions until he retired at the age of 70 in 1952.
Sources: http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne. -
Sir Douglas Mawson dies
Sir Douglas Mawson died on this day from a cerebral haemorrhage. He was survived by his wife Lady Paquita and his two daughters, Patricia and Jessica. This was the last day in the life of a heroic man that changed the way we think about Antarctica!
Sources: http://www.ADBonline.com.au
Guille, M. 2010. Stories from Australia's History - Douglas Mawson's Antarctic Journey,Macillian, Melbourne.
