MAWSON, Douglas

MAWSON, Douglas

1882-1958

geologist and explorer

born on 5 May 1882 at Shipley, Yorkshire in England. The Mawson family was living in Australia by 1884.

Tall and strong. He really loved his work. Courageous, kind and noble. Sir Edgeworth David (geologist) said, about Douglas Mawson: ‘Mawson was the real leader who was the soul of our expedition to the Magnetic Pole [in 1908]… an Australian of infinite resource, splendid physique, astonishing indifference to frost’.

My name is Douglas Mawson and I represent ‘Advance Australia’ because – well (a bit embarrassed) – I have been called one of the most outstanding explorers of the twentieth century. My exploration secured Australia’s Antarctic Territory. But my real work – the reason I explored – was to discover more about science! You see, in 1928, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913 was judged the greatest-ever, scientific expedition to Antarctica. Actually it wasn’t all good news… but never mind that now. I am here today to …

mawson.gif (7803 bytes)

lamploop.gif (6239 bytes) IDEA FOR SCENE: Smithy, Ginger and Felix arrive in 1912 in the Southern Cross to find Douglas Mawson alone, in Antarctica, dragging a sawn-off sled. His footprints and sled marks show where he has come from in the endless white snow. DOUGLAS MAWSON HAS A PART IN THE PLAY SCRIPT PROVIDED WITH THIS PLAY KIT!

1901-2001 Centenary of Federation