Australian
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Teacher’s notes

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This black-and-white clip shows an aerial reconnaissance flight and a near-fatal accident involving the seaplane taken during the second British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE 1929-31). Cameraman Frank Hurley films icebergs and pack ice from the air. He then films an accident from the ship, caused when a cable gave way while winching up the plane. The plane crashes into the side of the ship, and Douglas Mawson and the pilot Eric Douglas hang on before the plane is stabilised by the Chief Officer.

Educational value points

• Douglas Mawson (1882-1958) was the first to see the potential for aerial surveillance in Antarctica for reconnaissance, and used a seaplane extensively to map the coastline and guide the ship out of pack ice. Mawson had intended to take a Vickers REP Monoplane on his 1911 expedition, but was prevented by a pre-departure accident. For the BANZARE expedition, Mawson arranged for the inclusion of a Gypsy Moth seaplane and included two pilots in the team to fly it.

• The seaplane was instrumental in achieving the goals of the expedition to collect scientific data and lay claim to territory. The commentary explains that the reconnaissance flights of the plane could accomplish as much in an hour as it would take the ship a whole day to achieve. The expedition mapped a large area of the Antarctic coast and showed that the continent was continuous from the Ross Sea to beyond Enderby Land. It also guided the ship through the ice.

• The clip depicts the dangers of Antarctic exploration in the dramatic near-fatal mishap involving Mawson and the pilot Eric Douglas (1902-70) as their seaplane was being winched back on board the Discovery. After one of the strops broke the plane turned on its side, crashing into the ship and tipping the pilot out of his seat. He and Mawson hung precariously from the plane, in danger of falling into the Antarctic waters or having the plane fall on top of them.

• The clip demonstrates the craftsmanship of Frank Hurley (1885-1962), renowned Australian adventurer, filmmaker and photographer. Hurley edited two separate flights together to create one sequence. The aerial footage comes from a flight with pilot Stuart Campbell filmed by Frank Hurley from the back seat. After the plane is shown landing on the water, Hurley then cuts to separate footage he took from the ship showing Mawson and Douglas.

• Hurley observes two different types of ice from the air, pack ice and icebergs. Pack ice is formed by the freezing of seawater, forming a solid mass over the sea and extending its area in winter, famously crushing the Endurance on Shackleton’s expedition in 1914. Icebergs, in contrast, contain fresh water and are formed from compacted snow. Typically they break off a glacier and as Hurley points out, 90 per cent of the iceberg is generally below the surface of the water.

• The famous sailing ship, the Discovery, is seen clearly from the air in an ocean of ice. The Discovery was built in Scotland for Robert Scott’s South Pole expedition (1901-04). It had a massive wooden hull designed to withstand being frozen in ice, with iron bows to break the ice. The propeller and rudder could be hoisted up to prevent ice damage. The British government made it available for Mawson’s BANZARE trip, and it was captained by John King Davis.

The 'Gypsy Moth’ seaplane is launched to survey what lies ahead and report back its findings. Hurley films from both onboard the Discovery and from within the cockpit of the plane, capturing aerial views of the ice and water below.

Frank Hurley Now let us take a seat in the cockpit and share in the awesome sights which unfold as we climb up above the pack icefields. There’s the Discovery just below us like a toy. Now we are heading over the pack-strewn ocean. We can accomplish in an hour what the Discovery would take 24 hours to do. Let us look over the tail. There is a fine prospect along the margin of the icefields from which we just ascended.

Now we will turn around in our seat and look ahead. This is a fleet of majestic icebergs. Great ice masses cast adrift from the Antarctic coast and grounded in shallow water. Now we’re going down to inspect the two caves in front of this berg. Campbell shuts his engine off and down we glide. Those two caves are about 90 feet high. Lower and lower we go. Campbell starts the engine again and we continue on our flight.

Now we’re coming to some more icebergs. These stand approximately 120 feet above the sea and there is actually no less than eight times this depth of ice submerged beneath the ocean. Those groove formations are old crevice lines that filled in with snow. Now we are drawing close to the Antarctic Continent and ahead there is a rocky island standing 1,000 feet in height. On the right-hand side you can see the great ice barrier. The machine is heading back to report the discovery.

These flights generally occupy three hours and it was always a relief, not only to the aviators, but all when the ship was sighted again. To locate the Discovery is always a problem. Anxiously we scout the icy maze which hides the ship. Where is the ship? We look in every direction for her. Oh, there she is, look, just down in the centre of this pool. The engine is shut off and down we glide.

Lower and lower we go, over the ship which looks like a toy ship in a calm blue pond. There are some small bits of ice on course – we’ll have to be very careful now in landing. Lower and lower we go. And Campbell makes a perfect landing and we taxi up to the Discovery.

Now the sea is very bumpy and as the Discovery is rolling it will be very troublesome to hook on to the lifting tackle. Sir Douglas Mawson is standing by on the fuselage ready to hook on. As soon as he comes along side the order will be given to haul away.

'Haul away boys.’ The men respond instantly and just as the machine is being lifted one of the strops is carried away and the machine is being hurled against the ship’s side. The airmen are flung out. Sir Douglas is in peril of the whole lot crashing down upon him. The rolling of a ship makes it difficult to rescue a man. What might have been tragedy has been averted by the chief officer.