Young Australians’ visions of Antarctica in 100 years will be contained in a time capsule to be installed at the site of Mawson’s Huts at Commonwealth Bay.

Australian Antarctic Division Director, Dr Tony Fleming, today announced the winners of a competition in which students were invited to express their views on how the icy continent might look 100 years from now.

Dr Fleming said he was struck by the thoughts and observations of students, most of whom regarded Antarctica as a special place deserving of sensitive management.

“Students, like the rest of us, have hopes and fears for the future — not just for themselves but for the planet as a whole and for Antarctica in particular.

“The young people who took part in this competition gave careful consideration to the possible future issues facing Antarctica, with a reminder that continued careful environmental management is vital.

“The over-riding sentiment was that Antarctica would become more accessible in future, leading to greater numbers of tourists visiting the continent. The effects of climate change also rated highly among students’ concerns,” Dr Fleming said.

The winners are:

Grade 5
Anton Korsun
Caringbah North Public School
New South Wales

Grade 6
Molly Chapman
Wilderness School
Medindie, South Australia

Grade 7
Sophie Anderson
Danebank: An Anglican School for Girls
Hurstville, New South Wales

Grade 8
Alyssa Murray
St John’s College
Nambour, Queensland

Grade 9
Tara Lewis
St Aloysius College
Kingston, Tasmania

Around 500 grade five to nine students from around Australia took part in the competition, an activity by the Australian Antarctic Division to involve young people in the centenary celebrations of Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Dr Fleming said that the winning students’ entries would be included with other items in the time capsule which would be installed at the Mawson’s Huts Historic Site in Antarctica during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Expedition’s arrival at Commonwealth Bay on January 8, 1911.

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