Who was Douglas Mawson?
Sir Douglas Mawson was an Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer who led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition from 1911 to 1914. He is famous for surviving alone after his companions died during a sledging journey.
Mawson was born in England in 1882 and moved to Australia as a child. He studied at the University of Sydney and became a geologist at the University of Adelaide.
In 1907 to 1909, he joined Ernest Shackleton's expedition and was part of the team that reached the South Magnetic Pole region.
Survival story
During the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Mawson set out with Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz. Ninnis fell into a crevasse with most of the supplies, and Mertz died during the return journey.
Mawson struggled alone for weeks, hauling a sledge across the ice. He reached base just after the ship had left and had to spend another winter in Antarctica.
His expedition explored and mapped large areas, leading to Australia's claim of the Australian Antarctic Territory. Mawson Station is named after him, and he appeared on the Australian $100 paper note.