Ice Bound: Australian Stories from Antarctica

Australians have long been tempted by the lure of the ice to the south, and our Antarctic stories are filled with mystery, exploration, adventure, ground-breaking science, tragedy, and triumph.

The Antarctic region was taking shape in the Australian imagination long before humans ventured into the high southern latitudes. Through their stories about ice and wind, ocean and wildlife, light and darkness, Australians found ways to make sense of the mysterious realm to their south. In the process, they created powerful cultural connections between these two Gondwanan cousins that endure to this day.

The stories of the early intrepid explorers to brave this ‘most desolate, cruellest region in the world’ are thrilling. The legendary Douglas Mawson and his teams had to learn to first crawl, and then walk, through hurricane-force winds, dig exit tunnels through the snow that continually buried their huts, and haul heavily laden sledges across treacherous fields of crevasses. Despite the extreme conditions and isolation though, there was always a great heartening aspect that these adventurers brought to their endeavours. Whether it was the morale-boosting songs that were sung during the sledging journeys, the joyous heralding of the return of the penguins in spring, or the much-treasured tradition of Midwinter’s Day