Artefact Details
CDPFP - Proclamation Flag Pole and Plaque
Identity - Common name, type, cataloguer
| Catalogue Number : | CDPFP |
| Common Name : | Proclamation Flag Pole and Plaque |
| Field Cataloguer : | Michelle Berry Date catalogued in field - 24-Jun-2009 |
| Type : |
Category 1: Structures - Other Structure
(definition)
|
Location - Name of place, position and current storage
| Field Location : | Proclamation Pole, Anemometer Hill (definition) |
Description - materials, markings, dimensions
| Description : | On the 5th January, 1931 Mawson returned to Cape Denison as the leader of BANZARE. The prime motivation of the tripartite supported expedition was to assert the sovereignty of the British Commonwealth over the portions of the Antarctic that British subjects had discovered. His landing at Cape Denison was therefore the annexation stie for what has now become known as Eastern Australian Antarctic Territory. To provide some formalisation of his claim he affixed a small carved timber plaque and proclamation to the mast of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition anemometer station located on Anemometer Hill. (William Blunt., Mawsons' Huts Antarctica A Conservation Proposal. Vol One. 1991. p 111) |
| Materials : |
Metal - Ferrous
(definition)
Wood - Worked (definition) |
| Date of Production : | 1931 |
| Production Method : | Hand-made |
Condition - status, conservation assessment, completeness
| Date | Type | Details | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-Jan-2011 | Condition Assessment |
Inspection of the condition of the Proclamation Pole and replica plaque was carried out during the Mawsons Huts Foundation expedition 2009-2010.
Completeness - Complete Location - Cape Denison
References - Mawson's Huts Foundation Expedition Report 2010-11 (2011) Peter McCabe, Matt Tucker, Antonia Ross, Stirling Smith, Dr David Tingay View and download PDF  |
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| 3-Jan-2010 | Condition Assessment |
Inspection of the condition of the Proclamation Pole and replica plaque was carried out during the Mawsons Huts Foundation expedition 2009-2010. Completeness - Complete Condition - Good Location - Cape Denison
References - 2009 - 2010 Mawsons Huts Foundation Expedition Heritage and Conservation Report (2010) Berry, Michelle., Steele, Jody., Passingham, Martin., Absolon, Megan., Maxwell, Peter., Farrell, Mark. View and download PDF |
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| 7-Jan-2009 | Condition Assessment |
The condition of the replica plaque and the original flagpoles was documented in a series of photographs by Dr Ian Godfrey during the 2008/2009 Mawson's Huts Foundation field season. Completeness - Complete Condition - Good Location - Cape Denison
References - Mawson's Huts Foundation 2008-09 Heritage and Scientific Report (2009) Godfrey, Ian., Absolon, Megan., Berry, Michelle., McCabe, Peter., Burdett, Ben., Henderson, Chris., London, David., Boyer, Peter. View and download PDF |
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| 1-Jan-2007 | Research |
In 2007 a new management plan was adopted for the Mawson's Huts Historic Site. The plan is in place from 2007 - 2012 and its objective is to guide management decisions as well as on and off site actions to identify, protect, conserve, present and transmit to all generations, the National Commonwealth Heritage values and other values of the Mawson's Huts Historic Site.
Completeness - Complete References - Mawson's Huts Historic Site Management Plan 2007 - 2012 (2007) Commonwealth of Australia View and download PDF |
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| 17-Oct-2002 | Inspection |
In October 2002 the Australian Antarctic Division sent an eight person team to Cape Denison to carry out conservation of the Main Huts and the other buildings and structures on the site. The Proclamation Flag Pole and plaque were inspected and it was determined that no action was necessary. See Mawson's Huts Conservation Report 2002.
Completeness - Complete Condition - Good Location - Cape Denison
References - Mawson's Huts Conservation Expedition 2002 (2003) Patterson, Diana., Staples, Michael., Killick, David., Couser, Geoff., Welke, Adrian., Lazer, Estelle., Clarke, Linda., Passingham, Marty. View and download PDF |
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| 1-Jul-2001 | Research |
In July 2001 Godden Mackay Logan prepared the Mawson's Huts Historic Site Conservation Management Plan for the Mawson's Huts Foundation. This plan was superceded in 2007 by The Mawson's Huts Historic site Management Plan 2007-2012. Completeness - Complete References - Mawson's Huts Historic Site Conservation Management Plan (2001) Ashley, Geoff., Burtenshaw, Natasha., Crook, Penny., et al View and download PDF |
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| 1-Oct-1993 | Research |
In 1993 Michael Pearson prepared the Mawson's Huts Historic Site Conservation Plan. The report outlined the reasons why Mawson's Huts were of cultural significance, the condition of the site, the various issues which impinged upon the management of the site. The report also stated the conservation policy which was to be applied to the site and how that policy might be implemented. The document is often referred to in later conservation management plans and expedition works plans.
Completeness - Complete References - Mawson's Huts Historic Site Conservation Plan May 1993 (1993) Pearson, Michael View and download PDF |
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| 1-Jul-1989 | Condition Assessment |
A photograph was taken of the Plaque after removal from Cape Denison so Kingston for storage in the Libraries Special collections Completeness - Complete Condition - Fair Location - [B110] - Hurley Building, Library Special Collection
|
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| 31-Aug-1988 | Research |
The Australian Antarctic Division commissioned Allom Lovell Marquis-Kyle Architects to prepare a Statement of Significance to provide an appropriate basis from which decisions could be made or policy developed for the conservation of the Mawsons Huts Historical Site in accordance with the Australia ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance (The Burra Charter)
Completeness - Complete References - Mawsons Huts Antarctica Statement of Significance (1988) Allom, Richard and Lawrence-Drew, Margaret View and download PDF |
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| 25-Dec-1986 | Re-location |
During the visit to Cape Denison by Michael Pearson and others a replica of the proclamation plaque was attached to the flag pole to replace the original that had been removed in 1985/86 for conservation by Project Blizzard.
See: Pearson, M., Report for Antarctic HIstoric sites and Monument Advisory committee on a visit to Mawson's Hut, commonwealth Bay, 25-29 December 1986. Completeness - Complete Condition - Good Location - Cape Denison
References - Report for Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments Advisory committee on a visit to Mawson's Huts Commonwealth Bay, 25 - 29 December 1986 (1987) Pearson, Michael View and download PDF |
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| 24-Dec-1984 | Re-location |
On November 10 1984 the Project Blizzard team of twelve left Sydney on the Dick Smith Explorer bound for Commonwealth Bay arriving 24 December, where they spent seven weeks on Cape Denison carrying out a broad range of tasks including the removal of the plaque from the Proclamation Flag pole for conservation in Australia. Completeness - Complete Location - Cape Denison
References - Project Blizzard 1984 - 1985 Expedition. Preliminary Report and Recomendations (1985) Blunt, William Report on the repatriation to Australia of the mertz-Ninnis memorial plaque and the Proclamation plaque from Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica by Project Blizzard (1985) Blunt, William View and download PDF |
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| 18-Jan-1978 | Inspection |
On 18 January 1978 Rod Ledingham, Jean Ledingham, Guy Macklan and Ray Brookes arrived at Cape Denison along with Peter Granhom, Don Devitt, Doug Twigg, Graham Russell and Eric Leah, these last five members staying on shore for one day only while the other members remained at Commonwealth Bay until 26 February. Photographs of the Proclamation Plaque were taken showing the the encapsulation of the plaque in a perspex box. Completeness - Complete Location - Cape Denison
References - Commonwealth Bay Report 18 January to 26 February 1978 Antarctic Division Technical Memorandum 69. (1978) Ledingham, Rod.,Macklan, Guy., Ledingham, Jean., Brookes, Ray. View and download PDF |
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| 26-Feb-1977 | Inspection |
The Casey Relief Expedition on the Thala Dan went ashore at Dumont d'Urville and used the French facilities as a base for the helicopter flight to Commonwealth Bay. The purpose of the visit was to close up all roof hatches to try to reduce the amount of drift entering and also stop the wind doing more structural damage to Mawson's Hut. A sledge from outside the hut was RTAd to the Museum of South Australia. The team members included William Young, Ross Hutchinson, Richard Lightfoot, M.J. Sonneveld and K. Gibson. The original plaque was removed for return to Australia and a replacement plaque attached.
Completeness - Complete Location - Cape Denison
References - Commonwealth Bay Visitors Log Book () View and download PDF |
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| 14-Jan-1974 | Inspection |
On 14 January 1974 the Casey Relief Expedition on the Thala Dan visited Cape Denison with the intention of inspecting the condition of Mawson's Huts. Photographs were taken of the proclamation pole and plaque during this visit.
Completeness - Complete Condition - Fair Location - Cape Denison
References - Commonwealth Bay Visitors Log Book () View and download PDF Report on visit to Cape Denison January 1974. Antarctic Division Technical Memorandum No. 24 (1974) Humphreys, A. E., Lugg, D.J. View and download PDF |
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| 29-Jan-1962 | Expedition |
Voyage 6 of the 1961/62 season on the Thala Dan led by Phillip Law called in at Cape Denison as part of the Wilkes changeover and survey of the Wilkes and Oates Land coasts. Dr Phillip Law noted in his report of the 1962 Voyage: "After breakfast I had given the men a long talk on the history of Australians in Antarctica and the history of Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition and its achievements. I warned them against disturbing anything ashore at the old Mawson Station. The wind continued to blow on Wednesday 31 and we anchored about 1 ½ miles off the ice cliffs and to the west of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay at 1145 hours. At 1400 hours the First Mate took Burch and myself ashore. It was still blowing at 30 knots and we had a very wet trip. While Burch proceeded with magnetic work I hoisted the Australian flag, took various photographs and examined the station. I found the main hut filled to the gables with ice. The nearby meteriorological shelter was half demolished [the Transit hut] and filled with drift snow. The Absolute Magnetic hut had disintegrated and only broken wall timbers still stand like pickets in a fence. However the Magnetograph hut was in excellent order partly because it was heaped around with rocks and partly because it was so thoroughly sealed. Inside a tin in the hut are three notes. The first was a copy of Blakes [sic] original note. The second note was signed by Father Mayaud of the 1951 French Expedition, The third was by P.E. Victor, dated 25 January 1959 giving details of the French re-occupation of the station. We returned to the ship at 1700 hours and found that Harwood had completed rigging the pontoon. As the weather was by then excellent I decided to take the men ashore after dinner. Almost everybody came ashore at 1930 hours. The men assembled around the Hut, I raised the Australian Flag, we gave three cheers for Mawson and then photographed the assemblage. Some of the wood of the station showed remarkable examples of erosion caused by wind-driven snow. On the memorial cross the oregon timber had been eroded away to a depth of 1 ½ inches. We left by pontoon at 2030 in a strong katabatic wind and had a moderately rough ride with plenty of spray out to the ship....This historic site made a deep impression upon all of us. I shall strongly recommend that efforts are made to restore the station to the condition in which it was when occupied by the Mawsons expedition. As such it would be a fitting memorial and a valuable historic site."
Completeness - Complete Location - Cape Denison References - Report of the 1962 Voyage of "Thala Dan" to Wilkes and Oates Land (1962) Law, Phillip View and download PDF |
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| 5-Jan-1931 | History |
On the 5th of January 1931 the Proclamation flag pole and plaque was erected at Cape Denison by Douglas Mawson and the members of the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Expedition.
References - B.A.N.Z. Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-1931, Reports - Series A, Volume IV (Meteorology and Terrestrial Magnetism), Part 1, Terrestrial Magnetism () Clinton Coleridge Farr, D.Sc., The Winning of Australian Antarctica. Mawson's B.A.N.Z.A.R.E Voyages 1929 - 1931. (1962) Grenfell Price, A. |
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Significance - association with expeditioners or expedition
| Significance : | Commonwealth Heritage List - Criterion A: Processes (Historical) (definition) National Heritage List - Criterion A: Processes (Historical) (definition) |
| Expedition Association : | BANZARE (definition) |
References - links to images, publications etc.
| Literature |