Theme 01

Expedition Timeline

A handy guide to the expeditions that took dogs to Antarctica.

Borchgrevink-and-Dogs

Carsten Borchgrevink and dogs on the deck of the Southern Cross. Canterbury Museum 1978.207.24. No known copyright restrictions

British Antarctic Expedition (1898–1900)

The British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Southern Cross expedition, was led by Carsten Borchgrevink. This expedition landed at Cape Adare and was the first to winter over in Antarctica. The dogs on this expedition were the first taken to Antarctica.

British Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott. Canterbury Museum 19XX.2.5103. No known copyright restrictions

British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–1904)

Robert Falcon Scott headed the British National Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Discovery expedition. One of the expedition’s goals was to reach the South Pole.

Norwegian Antarctic explorer Roald Amundsen

Roald Amundsen. Canterbury Museum 2005.42.21. No known copyright restrictions

South Pole Expedition (1910–1912)

The South Pole Expedition, also known as the Fram expedition, was led by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. He and his party were the first to reach the geographic South Pole on 14 December 1914 and claimed it for Norway.

British Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott. Canterbury Museum 19XX.2.5103. No know copyright restrictions

British Antarctic Expedition (1910–1913)

The British Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Terra Nova expedition, was Robert Falcon Scott’s second attempt at the Pole. His party reached it on 17 January 1912, a month after Amundsen. All five men in the Polar party died on the return journey.

Australian Antarctic explorer Douglas Mawson

Douglas Mawson. Canterbury Museum 1940.193.112. No known copyright restrictions

Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–1914)

The Australasian Antarctic Expedition , headed by Douglas Mawson, conducted scientific research, explored Antarctica’s interior and charted part of the coastline.

Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton. Canterbury Museum 19XX.2.553. No known copyright restrictions

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917)

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), known as the Endurance expedition, was led by Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton’s goal was to cross Antarctica via the South Pole. The ship Aurora travelled to the Ross Sea to lay supply depots and planned to meet with Shackleton at the end of his traverse.

American Antarctic explorer Admiral Richard E Byrd

Richard E Byrd. Canterbury Museum 2008.6.3. No known copyright restrictions

Byrd's Expeditions (1928–1956)

Richard E Byrd commanded several United States Antarctic expeditions between 1928 and 1956. He was the first to fly to the South Pole in 1929.

Byrd Station, USA research station established during Operation Deep Freeze

Byrd Station. Canterbury Museum 1977.409.7

Operation Deep Freeze

A series of United States missions to Antarctica during the late 1950s, known as Operation Deep Freeze, established permanent American bases. These operations tied in with the International Geophysical Year 1957–1958 in which 67 countries participated in international science projects.

Sno-cat vehicle crossing a crevasse on the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Trans-Antarctic Expedition Sno-Cat Rock ‘n’ Roll. Canterbury Museum 19XX.2.317. Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and licensed by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"

Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955–1958)

The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica that Ernest Shackleton had attempted 40 years earlier. British explorer Vivian Fuchs led the expedition while Edmund Hillary of New Zealand headed the support party.

New Zealand Antarctic station Scott Base

Scott Base, 1963. Canterbury Museum 2009.34.13. Copyright status unknown

Scott Base (1958–)

Scott Base is New Zealand’s permanent base in Antarctica. Constructed at the time of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, it passed into the ownership of the New Zealand Government in 1958.

See More

Dogs in Antarctica

Tales from the Pack

Meet the canine characters who helped Antarctic heroes like Scott and Shackleton explore the icy continent

Crew of Roald Amundsen's Fram expedition on deck with dogs

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Canine Companions

Dogs in Antarctica weren't just for pulling sledges – they also provided companionship for the humans living on the ice

Osman the Great, sledge dog on Scott's Terra Nova expedition

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Zoo Attractions

Some dogs who survived the ice lived out their days in the relative comfort of New Zealand zoo enclosures

Husky dog with parachute harness

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Courageous Deeds

Some dogs were noted for their bravery in the face of Antarctica's freezing temperatures and savage winds

Husky dog Samson from Shackleton's Endurance expedition in his 'dogloo'

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Hardships

Life was tough for the dogs in Antarctica

Husky dog Moll as a puppy. Moll worked with Bob Miller on the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

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Puppies!

Many dogs were born on the ice. The puppies were a welcome distraction for explorers and many grew up to pull sledges themselves

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Legacies

Dogs are no longer allowed in Antarctica, but they will always be part of the icy continent's history

Dog Panky from Admiral Byrd's second Antarctic expedition

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Equipment for the Pack

To work in Antarctica, dogs needed equipment ranging from harnesses to booties

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Dogs on Film

Early video footage of dogs in Antarctica, plus Scott Base dog handlers tell stories from their time on the ice

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Expedition Timeline

A handy guide to the expeditions that took dogs to Antarctica