Commemorating the Ross Sea Party: Antarctic heritage and international relations

ABSTRACT

In 1917, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (ITAE. 1914–17) drew to a close when he attached a copper tube enclosing an epitaph to commemorate the three members of the Ross Sea Party who had perished to a memorial cross on Wind Vane Hill, Ross Island, Antarctica. Shackleton’s act and subsequent-related acts of commemoration, concluding in 2017, are analysed in the contexts of Antarctic heritage and international relations, with interrelationships. The research, on which this is based, identified relevant actors with their ideal values and utility values, intentions and actions. Structured analytical techniques, from intelligence studies, were applied. The paper is based on theory and methodology from Heritage Studies and International Relations.

Abbreviations: ADM: Admiralty; [NZ]AHT: [New Zealand] Antarctic Heritage Trust; ANZW: Archives New Zealand, Wellington; ATCM: Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting; ATS: Antarctic Treaty System; CM: QA: Canterbury Museum: Quartermain Archive; CRO: Commonwealth Relations Office; DO: Dominion Office; DSIR: Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; FCO: Foreign and Commonwealth Office; HSM: Historic Sites and Monuments; ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites; ITAE: Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition; MFAT: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; NAA: National Archives of Australia; NMM: National Maritime Museum; RN: Royal Navy; RNR: Royal Navy Reserve; SPRI: Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge; UKAHT: United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust; UKNA: United Kingdom, National Archives; USN: United States Navy

KEYWORDS:

• Antarctica
• analytical heritage studies
• international relations
• Shackleton

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges numerous insights and observations from colleagues at the Scott Polar Research Institute and Cambridge Heritage Research Centre, University of Cambridge; the ICOMOS, International Polar Heritage Committee (IPHC); and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Standing Committee on the Humanities and Social Sciences (SCAR SC–HASS), with special thanks to Robert Headland. The author undertook the research for this paper as the Polar Museum Research Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. The author thanks the two anonymous reviewers for their informative and insightful responses. Any errors of commission or omission remain the responsibility of the author alone.

Disclosure statement

The author reported no potential conflict of interest.

Notes

1 Liggett and Hemmings, Exploring Linkages between Environmental, 157.

2 Stephenson, The Cultural Values Model, 127–139.

3 Logan, Craith, Kockel, eds. A Companion to Heritage Studies, 2&3.

4 Harvey, Heritage Past and Heritage Presents, 327.

5 Watson and Bull, States Systems and International Societies, 151.

6 Young, Political leadership and regime formation.

7 Lowenthal, The Heritage Crusade.

8 Stephenson, The Cultural Values Model, 127–139.

9 The Getty Conservation Institute. Research on the Values of Heritage.

10 ICOMOS Australia, Burra Charter.

11 ICOMOS NZ Te Mana o Nga Pouwhenua o Te Ao, The ICOMOS New Zealand Charter Te Pumanawa o ICOMOS. o Aotearoa.

12 Heuer and Pherson. Structured Analytic Techniques.

13 Jeannie, Johnson and Berrett. Cultural Topography.

14 McElrea and Harrowfield, Polar Castaways, 254.

15 Swinburne, Atalanta in Calydon.

16 Shackleton, ‘Aurora Journal’.

17 Ibid.

18 Ibid.

19 Shackleton, ‘Ross Sea Party epitaph’, 1917.

20 United States Navy. USS Burton Island Deck Log, 115.

21 Byrd, Our Navy Explorers Antarctica, 516–7.

22 Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, letter from Quartermain to Fisher, 30 November 1961.

23 Cruzen, letter from Cruzen to Wooten, 8 May 1947.

24 Copper Development Association. ‘CLS/EG.’ Letter from Shaw to Naval Intelligence, 29 September 1947.

25 Admiralty, Shackleton Antarctic Expedition 1914–17. Discovery of Epitaph to Members of –.

26 Copper Development Association, ‘CLS/EG’, 29 September 1947.

27 Rought, letter from Scott Polar Research Institute to the Admiralty, 5 November 1947.

28 Ibid.

29 Daily Telegraph. ‘Shackleton’s Message’, 1 December 1947.

30 Stenhouse, letter from Stenhouse to the Admiralty, 1 December 1947.

31 Stenhouse, letter from Stenhouse to the Admiralty, 4 December 1947.

32 Treasury Solicitor, letter from Sidley to the Admiralty, 30 June 1948.

33 Dr Susan Barr observed that the placing of the epitaph on the memorial cross was not ‘wilful abandonment’ but an intentional act of commemoration; therefore, the opinion is flawed. Email to the author, 21 April 2020. Also, Shackleton clearly states, in South, that the huts and supplies on Ross Island are there for future expeditions.

34 Commonwealth Relations Office, letter from G.E.B. Shannon to E.F. Gillingham, 24 March 1948.

35 Ibid.

36 United Kingdom, High Commissioner Wellington to New Zealand, 4 August 1948.

37 Templeton, A Wise Adventure, 125–126.

38 United Kingdom, High Commissioner, Wellington to New Zealand, 4 August 1948.

39 New Zealand, External Affairs; New Zealand to the United Kingdom, 16 August 1948.

40 New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Manatū Aorere, email to author, 13 December 2018.

41 Admiralty, letter from the Admiralty, to Stenhouse, 14 January 1948.

42 Ibid.

43 Stenhouse, letter from Stenhouse to the Admiralty, 21 January 1948.

44 Admiralty, letter from the Admiralty to Stenhouse, 15 September 1948.

45 Admiralty, Minute Sheet, 21 January 1949.

46 Admiralty, letter from the Admiralty to the National Maritime Museum, 26 January 1949.

47 Admiralty, letter from the National Maritime Museum to the Admiralty, 2 February 1949.

48 Daily Telegraph, ‘Shackleton’s Message’, 1 December 1947.

49 Ibid.

50 United Kingdom, Folder summary, ADM 1/21,107.

51 Admiralty, letter from the Admiralty to CRO. 25 February 1948.

52 Admiralty, folder summary, 1949.

53 CRO. Report on Wyatt Earp’s Antarctic voyage, 30 April 1948.

54 Debenham, Résumé of Proposals, 1948.

55 Ibid.

56 United Kingdom, letter from Noel-Baker to the Minister of External Affairs, New Zealand. 5 January 1949.

57 Ibid.

58 Heaven, Brian Roberts, 717–729.

59 United Kingdom, Paper by Roberts, 6 March 1947.

60 United Kingdom, letter from Noel-Baker to Chiefly, 5 January 1949.

61 Australia, letter from Chiefly to the Secretary of State, Commonwealth Relations, 23 March 1949.

62 New Zealand, letter from Fraser PM to the Secretary for State for Commonwealth Relations, 31 March 1949.

63 United Kingdom, Polar Committee Minutes, 16 December 1949.

64 United Kingdom, Letter from Chadwick to Snelling, 12 July 1949.

65 Ibid.

66 Dodds, Pink Ice, 44.

67 Ibid.

68 Fuchs, Of Ice and Men, 60.

69 Robert Headland, personal communication, 25 October 2018.

70 SPRI, Museum accession record Y:2005/2.

71 United Kingdom. ‘Shackleton Antarctic Expedition, 1949.

72 Scott Polar Research Institute, Archival collection, MS:570. Robert Headland, personal communication.

73 National Maritime Museum, Archive, personal email to B. Lintott, 14 February 2019.

74 National Maritime Museum, epitaph collection record and image: https://collections.rmg.co.uk/archive/objects/4025.html (accessed: 30 April 2020).

75 New Zealand, Letter from Laking to Bowden, 28 June 1957.

76 Goldsmith, Letter from Goldsmith to Quartermain, 19 June 1959.

77 Gould, Letter from Gould to Quartermain: 9 May 1957.

78 Quartermain, Two Huts in the Antarctic, 70.

79 Quartermain, Hut Restoration Project, 1961.

80 Ibid.

81 The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Ross Sea Committee, newsletter, 4.

82 Quartermain, Hut Restoration Project, 1961.

83 Quartermain, Letter from Quartermain to Dater, 30 November 1961.

84 Jack, Letter from Jack to Quartermain, 30 January 1962.

85 Roberts, ATCM Journal 1961, 36.

86 Ibid. 36 & 37.

87 ATCM I Recommendation I–IX.

88 Roberts, ATCM 1 Journal 1961, 37.

89 ATCM XI Recommendation 3.

90 ATCM 1 Recommendation I–IX.

91 ATCM 1 Recommendation I–IX (1).

92 ATCM 1 Recommendation I–IX (2).

93 ATCM 1 Recommendation I–IX (3).

94 ATCM V, United Kingdom, WP031.

95 Roberts, ATCM VI Journal. 1970, 36.

96 ATCM XIX, Resolution 8.

97 ATCM XI, Recommendation 3.

98 American Museum of Natural History, ‘Shackleton.’

99 McElrea, and Harrowfield. Polar Castaways. The Ross Sea Party.

100 Tyler-Lewis, The Lost Men.

101 Chartres, Centenary Service of Thanksgiving, 20 May 2016.

102 Lintott, The Ross Sea Party. Centenary Service of Thanksgiving, 12 & 13.

103 Cruzen, letter from Cruzen to Wooken, 8 May 1947.