Aurora (1876)

The SY Aurora was a polar ship built in 1876 that accompanied Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition from 1911 to 1914. Its journey from Arctic whaling to Antarctic research was shaped by its robust construction, scientific work, and several rescue voyages.

From Arctic whaling to polar ship

Alexander Stephen & Sons built the Aurora in 1876 for a Scottish whaling fleet. The 50-metre sailing ship was reinforced for voyages through ice: double planking and a specially protected bow made work in Arctic waters easier. It initially undertook seal- and whale-hunting voyages before being acquired for Antarctic expeditions.

With Mawson in Antarctica

Geologist Douglas Mawson acquired the Aurora in 1910 for his Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Under Captain John King Davis, it carried expedition members, equipment, and provisions to Antarcticafrom 1911 to 1914. The crew supported mapping, depth soundings, and weather observations; the Aurora’s research work contributed to 22 reports.

Supply ship for Shackleton

From 1914, the Aurora also served as a supply ship for the Ross Sea party of Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Trapped in the ice, it drifted for nine months, reached New Zealand in 1916, and returned after an overhaul to pick up the stranded party. In early 1917, it brought seven survivors of the Ross Sea party to New Zealand.