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Antarctic sites of significance in NZ
About this map
This map is not comprehensive. Some buildings, memorials or gravesites referred to may also have been demolished or relocated. If you have further information on any of the sites included or on other sites associated with New Zealand and the Antarctic please send them to us at [email protected] or add a community contribution to the end of this page.
Please note this list does not include streets or places named after Antarctic explorers.
Sites located on the map (by region)
Auckland
- Erebus memorial (windows at St Matthews in the City)
- Erebus gravesites and memorial (at Waikumete cemetery)
- Erebus memorial (walkway in memory of Beverley Price, a victim in Erebus disaster)
- Erebus memorial (window at St Stephens Anglican Church)
- Erebus memorial (garden to crew killed in disaster)
- Auckland International Airport (where Erebus flight left from)
Wellington
- Harry McNeish's (carpenter on Endurance expedition) gravesite and Mrs Chippy memorial
- Richard E Byrd Memorial (bust, American aviator and explorer)
- Plaque to the TAE, IGY and Antarctic Expedition Personnel 1955-1958
- Plaque to Lieutenant Shirase (re Japanese Antarctic Expedition ship Kainan Maru)
- Thomas Hans Orde-Lees gravesite (Motor expert/stores keeper on Endurance expedition)
- Port of Wellington (visited by numerous Antarctic expeditions)
- Wellington International Airport (formerly known as Rongotai airport, used during TAE)
- Thomas Orde-Lees' house site (Motor expert/stores keeper on Endurance expedition)
- Ernest Shackleton wrote “South” in a house in this area (British explorer)
- H.T. Ferrar's house (geologist on Discovery expedition)
- Dominion Farmers Building (where the first New Zealand Antarctic Society meeting was held).
- Wellington Town Hall (Farewell function for those leaving on HMNZS Endeavour during TAE and IGY)
- Sir Maui Pomare's Cottage (Richard E. Byrd entertained here).
Nelson / Marlborough / Canterbury
- Louis Potaka's grave (doctor of Richard E. Byrd's second Antarctic expedition)
- Akaroa Memorial bust to Frank Worsley (Captain of the Endurance)
- Robert Falcon Scott Memorial (statue)
- Plaques (to early Antarctic expeditions and Operation Deep Freeze ships)
- Four lime trees (related to Operation Deep Freeze)
- Californian redwood (related to Operation Deep Freeze)
- Ernest Shackleton's oak (planted by Ernest Shackleton, British explorer, in 1917 soon after the rescue of the Ross Sea Party)
- Memorial window to James Dennistoun (member of the Terra Nova expedition)
- Christchurch International Airport (formerly known as Harewood airport)
- International Antarctic Campus (NZ base for US, NZ and Italian Antarctic programmes, Antarctic Heritage Trust etc)
- Indian totem pole (related to Operation Deep Freeze)
- Wigram airport (related to first flight to Antarctica)
- Port of Lyttelton (visited by numerous Antarctic expeditions)
- The tugboat Lyttelton (escorted Nimrod and Terra Nova south)
- Lyttelton Graving Dock & Pumphouse (used to repair and maintain Discovery and Terra Nova)
- Quail Island (used during a number of Antarctic expeditions to quarantine dogs and ponies)
- Joseph Kinsey's cottage (believed to be used by Scott's photographer, Herbert Ponting)
- Hut on Kinsey Terrace (Joseph Kinsey's house has been converted as a gazebo (most of it demolished) but there is also a hut that was returned from the ice after Scott returned on the neighbouring property)
- The Canterbury Club (members of the Discovery expedition were guests)
- Magnetic Observatory (used to assist in establishing the South Magnetic Pole during early Antarctic expeditions)
- Warners Hotel (meeting place for Antarctic expedition members)
- Christchurch Cathedral (links to US Antarctic programme)
- St Saviour's Anglican Church (was used by men from Antarctic expeditions, was relocated from Lyttelton in January/February 1976, the church’s original altar was placed in the chapel at Scott Base in 1980).
- Te Koraha (Robert Falcon Scott stayed for a month before departing on the Discovery expedition).
- Frank Worsley's house (Captain of the Endurance)
- Middleton Grange Historic House (Sir Charles Bowen was the major owner of the property that Middleton Grange now stands on. Scott and Shackleton visited there during their expeditions)
- Coker's Hotel (Robert Falcon Scott, British explorer, visited)
Otago/ Southland
- Charles Bonner's grave (died after falling from the Discovery)
- Richard E. Byrd memorial (bust, American aviator and explorer)
- Robert Falcon Scott memorial (plaque, British explorer)
- Robert Falcon Scott memorial (oak tree and an accompanying plaque, British explorer)
- Robert Falcon Scott memorial (tablets and boulder, British explorer)
- Robert Falcon Scott memorial (cairn, British explorer)
- Port of Oamaru (visited by Antarctic expeditions)
- Taieri airport (related to first flight to Antarctica)
- Port Chalmers (visited by numerous Antarctic expeditions)
- Quarantine Island (used during a number of Antarctic expeditions to quarantine dogs and ponies)
- Dunedin Club (Robert Falcon Scott stayed).
- Telegraph Office (from where Shackleton cabled news of the Nimrod expedition)
- Vernard (house which Scott visited)
- Post Office (from where news of Scott's death was sent)
- Night watchman’s shed (where members of the Terra Nova called)
NZ sites of significance in Antarctica
View NZ sites of significance in Antarctica in a larger map
Antarctica
- Erebus memorial (cross)
- Memorial to Nzers killed in Antarctica (plaques)
- Erebus crash site (declared a tomb and specially protected area)
- Scott Base (New Zealand's permanent Antarctic research station)
- Scott’s Hut (Terra Nova expedition 1910 - 1913)
- Scott’s Hut (Discovery expediton 1910 - 1913)
- Shackleton’s Hut (Nimrod expedition 1907-1909)
- Borchgrevink's hut (British Southern Cross Expedition 1898-1900)
The Antarctic sites featured on this map include selected sites named after New Zealanders responsible for significant Antarctic firsts (click on links to find out more about these people):
Further information:
- A Low-Latitude Antarctic Gazetteer Database (Antarctic-circle.org) Listing of sites of Antarctic interest outside of the Antarctic
- Antarctic relations (Christchurch City Council)
Community contributions