Aurora Australis

• MS 722;EN Aurora Australis, published in the winter quarters during April, May, June and July 1908 [First expedition journal to be printed on the Antarctic continent] 1 volume

The British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton) sailed south on board Nimrod. A shore party of 15 set up base on the Antarctic continent; they discovered nearly 500km of the Transantarctic Mountains flanking the Ross Ice Shelf. A party climbed Mount Erebus (3794 m), Ross Island. A southern party consisting of Shackleton, Jameson Adams, Eric Marshall and John Robert Francis [Frank] Wild found a route up the Beardmore Glacier and sledged to within 180km of the pole.

A second party sledged to he region of the South Magnetic pole and exploration of the area around the Ferrar Glacier was also conducted.

Chronological.

The Scott Polar Research Institute holds a number of photographs, film and other illustrative material in the Picture Library, some of which covers this expedition. The catalogue can be searched on line by going to the Picture Library Database and selecting the Enter Polar Pictures link.

The Institute holds over fifty archival collections containing material relating to this expedition see SPRI collection GB 15 British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 for more information.