Australian Antarctic Division Headquarters

The last Huskies Of Antarctica

Australia set up its first permanent research base in Antarctica in 1954 and Huskies were a vital part of the program from the very beginning. These hard working and loyal dogs were primarily used to pull sledges. When attached to a harness huskies are able to haul 50-90 kilograms each. Huskies were also a valued source of companionship for the people working in the isolated and lonely conditions of the Antarctic bases.

Stories abound of the dog’s ability to detect crevasses or thin sea-ice, and to navigate.

In 1991 Australia signed the Madrid Protocol which bans all non-indigenous species (except humans) in Antarctica. This meant that the Huskies could no longer remain in Antarctica.

This story from ABC’s Quantum program was shot in the summer of 1991 when the Mawson expeditioners were coming to terms with the approaching end of the husky-era. It contains the last ABC footage of Australia’s husky teams in action.

Update

In 1992 and 1993 the dogs at Mawson were returned to Australia and quarantined in a purpose-built enclosure at the Antarctic Division headquarters in Kingston, Tasmania.

Dogs over six years old were pensioned off and adopted by Australian families, while the younger dogs were flown to Minnesota in the United States, where they joined the dog teams at the Ely Outward Bound School.

The last of the Mawson huskies brought to Australia died in 2001, but their bloodline continues in the wilds of North America

(C) Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Norfolk Island | Wikipedia audio article

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Norfolk Island

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SUMMARY
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Norfolk Island (, locally ; Norfuk: Norf'k Ailen) is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, 1,412 kilometres (877 mi) directly east of mainland Australia's Evans Head, and about 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Lord Howe Island. Together with the two neighbouring islands Phillip Island and Nepean Island it forms one of the Commonwealth of Australia's external territories. At the 2016 Australian census, it had 1748 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2 (14 sq mi). Its capital is Kingston.

The first settlers in Norfolk Island were East Polynesians but they were long gone when Great Britain settled it as part of its 1788 settlement of Australia. The island served as a convict penal settlement from 6 March 1788 until 5 May 1855, except for an 11-year hiatus between 15 February 1814 and 6 June 1825, when it lay abandoned. On 8 June 1856, permanent civilian residence on the island began when it was settled from Pitcairn Island. In 1914 the UK handed Norfolk Island over to Australia to administer as an external territory.The evergreen Norfolk Island pine is a symbol of the island and is pictured on its flag. Native to the island, the pine is a key export for Norfolk Island, being a popular ornamental tree on mainland Australia, (where two related species grow), and also worldwide.