Antarctic Diaries of the Heroic Era
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Antarctic Diaries of the Heroic Era
Imperfect records yet the best available as exemplified by the 1911-1913 Antarctic Diary of Charles Turnbull Harrisson, Western Base party, Australasian Antarctic Expedition
The centenary of the departure of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), celebrated in Hobart on 2 December 2011, ignited interest in the documenting of Heroic Era expeditions and of the AAE 1911-1914 in particular. Simultaneously, the publication of artist and biologist Harrisson’s diary as Mawson’s Forgotten Men The 1911-1913 Antarctic Diary of Charles Turnbull Harrisson revived the almost vanished memory of the Western Base party of the AAE, an heroic group of eight whose endeavours bestowed reality on 2400 km of previously uncharted Antarctic coastline and legitimated the mythical Antarctic hinterland from 88o to 101o E Longitude.
This paper argues that of the several forms of recording and reporting the experience and achievement of Heroic Era Antarctic expeditions: diaries, scientific records, cinematographic material, still photographs and artworks, the diaries are the most authoritative. Extracts from Harrisson’s and other diaries exemplify the immediacy and continuity of such records, qualities that are not consistently present in the other forms of recording. On these criteria diaries emerge as the most truthful, dependable and encompassing record of the Heroic Era polar experience.
In particular, the value of the diaries of the Western Base party is demonstrated. By relating the men’s experience during a calendar year on the floating Shackleton Glacier they substantiated a considerable and in parts dreadful section of Antarctica. Because of his literary skill, Charles Turnbull Harrisson’s diary is of particular importance.
Heather Rossiter
Research scientist in the US and UK, teacher and vine-grower in Australia, Heather Rossiter's articles, book reviews and travel pieces have appeared in Australian and international publications. She was research consultant to the documentary, 'Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica', screened on ABC and BBC TV in 2007 and her book, Lady Spy, Gentleman Explorer: The Life of Herbert Dyce Murphy was shortlisted for the ISAA Book Award 2002. A passionate traveller, particularly to Russia and the Middle East to study archaeological sites and the arts of Islam, Heather lives in Sydney.
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Antarctic Diaries of the Heroic Era - Heather Rossiter
Antarctic Diaries of the Heroic Era: Imperfect records yet the best available as exemplified by the 1911-1913 Antarctic Diary of Charles Turnbull Harrisson, Western Base party, Australasian Antarctic Expedition
Heather Rossiter
© Copyright 2013 by Heather Rossiter
www.heatherrossiter.com
Production by Fullcream Media
www.fullcream.com.au
Smashwords Edition
ISBN: 978-0-9875310-0-1
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Abstract
The centenary of the departure of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), celebrated in Hobart on 2 December 2011, ignited interest in the documenting of Heroic Era expeditions and of the AAE 1911-1914 in particular. Simultaneously, the publication of artist and biologist Harrisson’s diary as Mawson’s Forgotten Men The 1911-1913 Antarctic Diary of Charles Turnbull Harrisson revived the almost vanished memory of the Western Base party of the AAE, an heroic group of eight whose endeavours bestowed reality on 2400 km of previously uncharted Antarctic coastline and legitimated the mythical Antarctic hinterland from 88º to 101º E Longitude.
This paper argues that of the several forms of recording and reporting the experience and achievement of Heroic Era Antarctic expeditions: diaries, scientific records, cinematographic material, still photographs and artworks, the diaries are the most authoritative. Extracts from Harrisson’s and other diaries exemplify the immediacy and continuity of such records, qualities that are not consistently present in the other forms of recording. On these criteria diaries emerge as the most truthful, dependable and encompassing record of the Heroic Era polar experience.
In particular, the value of the diaries of the Western Base party is demonstrated. By relating the men’s experience during a calendar year on the floating Shackleton Glacier they substantiated a considerable and in parts dreadful section of Antarctica. Because of his literary skill, Charles Turnbull Harrisson’s diary is of particular importance.
Contents
Abstract
Table of contents
Introduction: the diary
The AAE diaries
The Ship’s diaries
The Harrisson diary
The Australasian Antarctic Expedition
Further west
The Western Base of the AAE
The Western Base diaries
The Harrisson diary
The Western Base experience recorded
Other forms of reporting Antarctic experience
The frailties of diaries
The uses of diaries
Conclusion
References
About Heather Rossiter
Embossed black diary with decorative gold emboss "Australian Commercial Diary for 1912"Charles Turnbull Harrisson 1912 diary
Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW
Introduction: the diary
A diary is a daily record of events or transactions; specifically, a daily record of matters affecting the writer personally¹.
A description