The historic site where renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson set up camp in 1912 will receive a funding boost of $320,000 for important conservation work.
The grant will be provided in 2005–06 to further the work of the Mawson’s Huts Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1995 with the aim of raising funds to preserve, restore and repair the huts at Cape Denison in the far eastern part of the Australian Antarctic Territory. The grant to the Mawson’s Huts Foundation will allow important on-going conservation work to continue at Cape Denison in the coming summer.
Mawson’s Huts are of national and international heritage significance, listed as a National Heritage and Commonwealth Heritage site. They are also recognised internationally as an Historic Site and an Antarctic Specially Protected Area under the Antarctic Treaty.
This is the only site representing Australian accomplishments during the ‘heroic era’ in Antarctica, the first two decades of the 20th Century, when great advances were made in geographic and scientific knowledge. The huts were built and occupied by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–14 led by Sir Douglas Mawson.
The Australian Antarctic Division manages the Mawson’s Huts site. It works closely with the Mawson’s Huts Foundation which has received two previous Australian Government grants for conservation work and raising awareness of the site.