Artefacts from Antarctic huts go on display in Christchurch

A century-old fruitcake and a forgotten watercolour painting are among the precious Antarctic artefacts that will be exhibited for the first time at the Canterbury Museum.

Created by the Antarctic Heritage Trust in partnership with Canterbury Museum, Breaking the Ice: The First Year in Antarctica (1899-1900) will be the public’s only chance to see items left behind by Carsten Borchgrevink’s Southern Cross and Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expeditions in two huts at Cape Adare, Antarctica.

The huts built by Borchgrevink's party at Cape Adare. Photo: Antarctic Heritage Trust.

The exhibition opens on 18 May and runs until 13 October.

The artefacts were carefully conserved in a Canterbury Museum laboratory by an Antarctic Heritage Trust team of international experts. Under the government permit required to remove the items from Antarctica, they must be returned to the huts following their temporary removal for conservation.

Objects in the exhibition are mainly from Borchgrevink’s 1898–1900 Southern Cross expedition and include scientific equipment, clothing and sledging supplies.

A century-old fruitcake and a 118-year-old watercolour of a Treecreeper bird painted by Dr Edward Wilson, who died alongside Scott, will also feature. They were discovered in Antarctica’s first buildings by conservators in 2017 and became worldwide news.

Antarctic Heritage Trust Executive Director Nigel Watson expects huge interest in the exhibition and says these huts are the only example left of humanity’s first dwelling on any continent, which makes them of international historic significance.

“It’s a very rare opportunity to exhibit these artefacts and through sharing their stories, give people a glimpse into early Antarctic exploration and what these men endured in the first year on the Antarctic continent,” he says.

Museum Director Anthony Wright says Canterbury Museum has one of the world’s most significant collections from the heroic age of Antarctic exploration and discovery – almost 7000 objects.

“We are delighted that we’ve been able to work with the Trust in developing this exhibition so that this unique Antarctic collection can be seen by as many people as possible. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we hope that Cantabrians and visitors to the city will take time to see the exhibition.”

Breaking the Ice tells the story of the British Antarctic Expedition, which sailed from London on the Southern Cross landing at Cape Adare in January 1899. The expedition, led by Carsten Borchgrevink, recorded a number of Antarctic firsts, including erecting the first buildings, two huts built at Cape Adare.

These huts were later used in 1911 by the Northern Party of Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition.

• Breaking the Ice: The First Year in Antarctica (1899–1900) opens at Canterbury Museum on 18 May and runs to 13 October.