International Antarctic Gateway
Main links
Home
GO TO
Tasmanian Polar Network
With natural access to sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, the Ross Sea and the vast East Antarctic region, Hobart is recognised as one of five international gateways to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region.
Due to its unique geographic location approximately 1,848 nautical miles from the Australian Antarctic Division’s East Antarctic base of Casey Station, Hobart is the natural logistics base for resupplying East Antarctic stations and bases.
Tasmania and Antarctica were once connected during the Gondwana period, with several distinct geophysical similarities, such as the dolerite outcrops of King George Range and Mount Wellington, still being clearly visible today.
Hobart’s strong Antarctic community presence inspired the Antarctic Midwinter Festival which uses inspirational aspects of Antarctica to inform people on many of the issues facing the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region.
More information about the Antarctic Midwinter Festival, including the event’s dates and schedules, is available on the Antarctic Midwinter Festival website at www.antarctic-tasmania.info.
Hobart is also home to a wide range of research, education, logistical and cultural resources and facilities.
From the time Captain Cook sailed over the Antarctic Circle and called into Adventure Bay on Bruny Island, Hobart has been the gateway for many of the people engaged in Antarctic Exploration.
France's Dumont d'Urville, England's James Clark Ross, Norway's Carsten Borchgrevink and Roald Amundssen, Australia's Douglas Mawson and Tasmania’s own Louis Charles Bernacchi all left their mark on Hobart as they passed through on their way to Antarctica.
Hobart’s Polar Pathways follows the many artefacts that these brave Antarctic explorers left behind on their journey to and from the vast Antarctic continent.
Tasmania's connection with Antarctica pre-dates historical records. About 50 million years ago Australia and Antarctica were joined together and formed part of the super continent called Gondwana. At the time Antarctica was not glaciated and the continent was fully vegetated.
As Australia separated from Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current evolved and Antarctica became glaciated, resulting in the extinction of plants and animals. Only mosses, lichens, liverworts and some small invertebrates remained.
As one of the last land masses to break away from the Gondwana super continent, Tasmania's geology bears a strong similarity to geological formations found in Antarctica.
Antarctic connections
|
