Topographical Survey of the Peninsula –

Topographical Survey of the Peninsula – Multiple Authors

A gathering together of yarns, stories and anecdotes specifically about the topographical survey of the Antarctic Peninsula. Really, all that had to be done was to do triangulation from the Northern tip, to South of Fossil Bluff. Easy enough. Many surveyors and GA’s were involved, and the feeling is that they probably have a story or anecdote, or two, for the years that this went on. We’ll link some of the stories already published, to this page, and add more. Tim Christie and myself (Steve W) feel the story is not so much how it got done from year to year, but why in some years, it didn’t get done at all! See the example below for a link to an existing story.

The names below are purely a starting list of those surveyors known to be involved at first thoughts – far from complete, purely as a starting point.

It’s probably best to split this into eras and areas, so here’s a starting thought (based on a quick scan of lists and already-published stories). Perhaps someone with Barbara McHugo’s book could improve on this:

The Northern Peninsula (north of Marguerite Bay)

The Northern Fjords and Adelaide

1955

Derek Searle (Horseshoe)

1956

Tom Murphy, Michael Orford (Detaille)

Derek Searle (Horseshoe)

1957

Angus Erskine, James Madell (Detaille)

Peter Gibbs, John Rothera (Horseshoe)

1958

Brian Foote, John Rothera (Detaille), Peter Forster (Horseshoe)

1961

Frank Preston & Alan Wright (Adelaide)

Colin Brown & Ken Blaiklock (Stonington)

1962

Alan Wright & David Nash

1963

David Nash & Ivor Morgan

1964

David Nash & Tony Rider

1965

Neil Marsden & Tony Rider (Stonington)

July 30th – Winter Survey Journey to Horseshoe and Detaille

On July 30th, 1965, a three-man party departed Stonington with three teams, for the purposes of establishing a topographical survey connection between Bases W (Detaille Island), Y (Horseshoe) and E (Stonington); to lay depots for the Summer Survey; visit Detaille Island Base; and if possible to visit Adelaide, to pick up “certain items” necessary to the survey.

Tony Rider (Surveyor) was driving the Spartans, Jimmy Gardner (GA) the Vikings, and John Tait (GA) the Komats. The Journey had remarkably good surfaces and mostly excellent weather during the first half of August, enabling the party to lay all the necessary depots and reach Detaille Island (Base W) three days earlier than expected. The sledgers established five (5) survey stations in preparation for the Summer Survey. Little did they expect what happened after that… Read On…

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The West Coast, South from Stonington

1947

Reg Freeman & Dougie Mason (Stonington)

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1958

Peter Forster & Peter Gibbs (Stonington)

1961

Howard Chapman & Bob Metcalfe (Stonington)

1962

Bob Metcalfe & Ivor Morgan (Stonington)

1965

Neil Marsden & Tony Rider (Stonington)

1966

Neil Marsden & Dick Boulding (Stonington)

1967

Dick Boulding & Derek Postlethwaite (Stonington)

1968

Derek Postlethwaite, Mike Fielding, Phil Wainwright (Stonington)

1969

Mike Fielding, Paul Bentley (Stonington)

1970

Paul Bentley &Tim Christie (Stonington)

1971

Tim Christie & Paul Gurling (Stonington)

1972

Paul Gurling & John Yates (Stonington)

1973

John Yates & Roger Scott (Stonington)

1974

Roger Scott & Richard Barrett (Stonington)

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The East Coast

xxxxx

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King George VI Sound and South

1970

Paul Gurling

1973

Jim Bishop

1974

Jonathan Walton & Graham Tourney