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Australian Antarctic Territory

image by Antonio Martins

Australian Antarctic Territory
Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) pennant

See also

Australian Antarctic Territory

Consists of islands and territories other than Adélie Land south of 60 degrees South latitude, and between 160degrees to 45 degrees East. This became a territory of Australia in 1936. No population is listed, although there is a transient population of scientists and researchers at 3 bases

From the Statesman's Yearbook:

An imperial Order in Council of 7 Feb. 1933 placed under Australian authority all the islands and territories other thanAdélie Land south of 60 S. lat. and lying between 160 E. long and 45 E. long. The Order came into force with a Proclamation issued by the Governor-General on 24 Aug. 1936 after the passage of the Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act, 1933. The boundaries ofAdélie Land were definitively fixed by a French Decree of 1 April 1938 as the islands and territories south of 60 S. lat. lying between 136 E. long. and 142 E. long. The Australian Antarctic Territory Act 1954 declared that the laws in forcein the Australian Capital Territory are, so far as they are applicable and are not inconsistent with any ordinance made under the Act, in force in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The area of the territory is estimated at 6,119,818 sq. km. On 13 Feb. 1954 the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) established a station on MacRobertson Land at lat. 67.37 S. and long. 62.52. The station was named Mawson in honour of the late Sir Douglas Mawson.Meteorological and other scientific research is conducted at Mawson, which is the centre for coastal and inland survey expeditions.
A second Australian scientific research station was established on the coast of Princess Elizabeth Land on 13 Jan. 1957 at lat. 68.34 S. and long. 77.58 E. The station was named Davis in honour of Capt. John King Davis, Mawson's second-in-command on 2 expeditions. The station was temporarily closed down in Jan. 1965 and re-opened in Feb. 1969. In Feb. 1959 the Australian Government accepted from the US. Government custody of Wilkes Station, which was established by the US on 16 Jan. 1957 on the Budd Coast of Wilkes Land, at lat. 66.15 S. and long. 110.32 E. The station was named in honour of Lieut Charles Wilkes, who commanded the 1838-40 US-expedition to the area, and was closed in Feb. 1969. Operations were then transferred to the new station, Casey. Construction commenced on Casey station in Jan. 1965 and was continued, mainly during summer visits, until Feb. 1969, when it was opened. The station, specially designed to withstand blizzard winds and preventinundation by snow, is situated 2.4 km. south of Wilkes at lat. 66.17 S. and long. 110.32 E.

Jarig Bakker, 30 January 2000

Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition

image by Jorge Candeias, 14 August 2005

The Austra