1907 Sub-Antarctic Islands Scientific Expedition
Encyclopedia
The 1907 Sub-Antarctic Islands Scientific Expedition was a New Zealand
scientific expedition organised by the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury (now known as the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
). The main aim of the expedition was to extend the magnetic survey of New Zealand by investigating the Auckland
and Campbell Islands
but botanical, biological and zoological surveys were also conducted.
, for possible transport. On being informed that neither of the New Zealand Government steam ships would be available, the committee sent a delegation to the Acting Premier
, the Honourable William Hall-Jones
. By 8 June 1907, it was confirmed that the NZGSS Hinemoa
under the captaincy of John Bollons
would be available to transport the expedition.
s at other sub-antarctic islands before returning to pick the groups up.
, Stewart Island in the early afternoon. Some disembarked for an episode of botanical collecting. The voyage continued at 9pm that evening with an overnight steam to The Snares
, which were reached at 6am. All of 15 November was spent at The Snares exploring the islands and collecting soil, rock and botanical specimens. By 16 November the expedition arrived at Auckland Islands and discovered the castaway
s of the wreck of the Dundonald
. After ensuring that the castaways were supplied with provisions and taking on board one of the castaways to act as a cook for the Campbell Island expedition group, the Auckland Islands expedition party was dropped off at Camp Cove.
Campbell Island was reached on 18 November and the remainder of the expedition was dropped off. The NZGSS Hinemoa returned and picked up the Campbell Island group on 25 November. While the NZGSS Hinemoa was away, the Auckland Islands group, who had also been supplied with a whaleboat and crew, were rowed to various locations around Auckland Islands during their ten day stay. With the return of the NZGSS Hinemoa on the 26 November the Auckland Islands group packed up and boarded the vessel. The ship steamed to Enderby Island on the 27 November for further exploration and specimen hunting and then onto Disappointment Island
on 28 November. A number of expedition members collected specimens and samples while Captain Bollons organised the exhumation of the Chief Mate of the Dundonald for reburial at Hardwicke
cemetery. The funeral was held that evening. The NZGSS Hinemoa arrived back in Bluff on 30 November 1907.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
scientific expedition organised by the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury (now known as the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
). The main aim of the expedition was to extend the magnetic survey of New Zealand by investigating the Auckland
Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands are an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, Ewing Island, Rose Island, Dundas Island and Green Island, with a combined area of...
and Campbell Islands
Campbell Island, New Zealand
Campbell Island is a remote, subantarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. It covers of the group's , and is surrounded by numerous stacks, rocks and islets like Dent Island, Folly Island , Isle de Jeanette Marie, and Jacquemart Island, the latter being the...
but botanical, biological and zoological surveys were also conducted.
Expedition preparation
The planning committee of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury approached the various branches of the New Zealand Institute for support and armed with this, approached the New Zealand Minister of Marine, John A. MillarJohn A. Millar
John Andrew Millar was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party from Otago.Born in Jalandhar, India, he came to New Zealand in 1870...
, for possible transport. On being informed that neither of the New Zealand Government steam ships would be available, the committee sent a delegation to the Acting Premier
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
, the Honourable William Hall-Jones
William Hall-Jones
Sir William Hall-Jones, KCMG was the 16th Prime Minister of New Zealand from June 1906 until August 1906. He was the interim Prime Minister after the death of Richard Seddon and the return from overseas of Joseph Ward....
. By 8 June 1907, it was confirmed that the NZGSS Hinemoa
NZGSS Hinemoa
NZGSS Hinemoa was a 542 ton New Zealand Government Service Steamer designed specifically for lighthouse support and servicing, and also patrolled New Zealand's coastline and carried out castaway checks and searched for missing ships. It operated in New Zealand's territorial waters from 1876 to...
under the captaincy of John Bollons
John Bollons
John Peter Bollons, ISO, was a New Zealand marine captain, naturalist and ethnographer. For many years he captained New Zealand government steamers, including the NZGSS Hinemoa, which undertook lighthouse work and patrols through New Zealand's subantarctic islands. Bollons Island, in the...
would be available to transport the expedition.
Expedition members
A group of 26 participants went on the expedition. The group was split into two main parties—one for Campbell Island and one for the Auckland Islands—with the intention that the groups were to be dropped off to survey while the NZGSS Hinemoa conducted its regular round of checking the castaway depotCastaway depot
A castaway depot is a store or hut placed on an isolated island to provide emergency supplies and relief for castaways and victims of shipwrecks...
s at other sub-antarctic islands before returning to pick the groups up.
Magnetic survey
- Dr Clinton Coleridge Farr, Lecturer in Physics and Surveying, Canterbury College, Christchurch - Auckland Islands
- Henry Denman Cook, Lecturer in Mathematics, Canterbury College - Auckland Islands
- Henry Fawsit Skey, Magnetic Observatory, Christchurch - Campbell Island
- Edward Kidson, Canterbury College - Campbell Island
- C. A'court Opie, Assistant to Surveyors - Originally assigned to the Auckland Island group but reassigned to Campbell Island
Botany survey
- Dr Leonard CockayneLeonard CockayneLeonard Cockayne FRS is regarded as New Zealand's greatest botanist and a founder of modern science in New Zealand.-Biography:He was born in Sheffield, England where he attended Wesley College...
, Christchurch - Auckland Islands - Bernard Cracroft Aston, Chief Chemist, Department of Agriculture, Wellington - Auckland Islands
- John Smaillie Tennant, Inspector of Schools, Wellington - Auckland Islands
- Captain Arthur Algernon Dorrien-SmithArthur Algernon Dorrien-SmithMajor Arthur Algernon Dorrien-Smith DSO DL JP VMH was Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly from 1918 - 1920.-Family:...
, Tresco Abbey, Scilly Isles - Auckland Island - Robert M Laing, Science Master, Boys High School, Christchurch - Campbell Island
- J. Crosby-Smith, Invercargill - Campbell Island
Geology survey
- Robert Speight, Lecturer in Geology, Canterbury College and President of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury - Auckland Islands
- Alexander Moncrief Finlayson, Entrance and Senior Scholar at University of Otago - Auckland Islands
- G. S. Collyns, Assistant to Geologists - Auckland Islands
- Dr P. Marshall, Lecturer-in-Charge, Department of Geology, University of Otago - Campbell Island
- Robert Browne, Fielding - Campbell Island
Zoology survey
- Dr William Blaxland Benham, Professor of Biology, University of Otago and Curator Otago Museum - Auckland Islands
- George Vernon HudsonGeorge Vernon HudsonGeorge Vernon Hudson was an English-born New Zealand entomologist and astronomer.Born in London, Hudson was the sixth child of Charles Hudson, an artist and stained-glass window designer. By the age of 14 he had built up a collection of British insects, and had published a paper in The Entomologist...
, Wellington - Auckland Islands - Edgar Ravenswood WaiteEdgar Ravenswood WaiteEdgar Ravenswood Waite was a British/Australian ichthyologist, ornithologist and zoologist.Waite was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, the second son of John Waite, a bank clerk,...
, Curator at Canterbury Museum - Auckland Islands - Dr Charles ChiltonCharles Chilton (zoologist)Charles Chilton was a New Zealand zoologist, the first rector to be appointed in Australasia, and the first person to be awarded a D.Sc. degree in New Zealand.-Biography:...
, Professor of Biology, Canterbury College - Campbell Island - George R. Marriner, Assistant, Department of Biology, Canterbury College - Campbell Island
- James Boxer Mayne, Headmaster at Sydenham School, Christchurch - Campbell Island
- Professor Harry Borrer Kirk, Professor of Biology, Victoria College, Wellington - Campbell Island
Other participants
- Samuel Page, Photographer
- W. Bernard North, Cook - Auckland Islands
- Charles Eyre, Cook - Campbell Island (one of the Dundonald castaways)
- F. R. Feild, assisted the Auckland Islands party as a private individual
- Chambers, assisted the Campbell Island party as a private individual
- Des Barres, assisted the Campbell Island party as a private individual
- Whaitiri of Ruapuke Island, leader of the whaleboat crew with the Auckland Islands party
Other proposed participants
There were a number of others that were invited to attend but either tendered their regrets or were unable to go. These included:- The Honourable Robert McNabRobert McNabDr Robert McNab was a New Zealand lawyer, farmer, historian, and politician of the Liberal Party.He represented the Mataura electorate from 1893 to 1896 when he was defeated by George Richardson. In 1898 Richardson was adjudged bankrupt...
, Minister of Lands and Commissioner of State Forests, Wellington. He was invited to lead the expedition, but was unable to leave his duties. - Thomas Frederic CheesemanThomas Frederic CheesemanThomas Frederick Cheeseman was a New Zealand botanist and also a naturalist who had a wide-ranging interest in natural history, such that he even described a few species of sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs.- Biography :...
, Curator Auckland Museum. There is a suggestion that the exhibition had offered a place in the Campbell Island group and that Mr Cheeseman wished to extend his invitation to both Islands. In any case, while Cheeseman did not attend the expedition, he was asked to describe the collections of botanical specimens the expedition returned with. - H.T. Hill, Secretary and Inspector of Schools, Hawkes Bay
- Frederick Giles Gibbs, Principal of Nelson College, Nelson
- Alfred Hyde Cockayne, Assistant Biologist, Department of Agriculture, Wellington
- W. T. Adams, Greendale, Canterbury
- Dr J.M. Bell, Director, Geological Survey, Wellington
- Professor A. Jarman, Professor of Mining Engineering, Auckland University College
- Professor Algernon Phillips Withiel Thomas, Professor of Biology and Geology, Auckland University College
- Augustus Hamilton, Director, Colonial Museum, Wellington
- Henry SuterHenry SuterHenry Suter was a New Zealand zoologist, naturalist, palaeontologist, and malacologist.- Biography :...
, Wellington - J Drummond, Journalist, Lyttleton Times, specialising in natural history
- G. M. Thomson, Dunedin
- Dr F W Hilgendorf, Biologist, Canterbury Agricultural College
- Dr R Fulton, Dunedin
The expedition
The NZGSS Hinemoa departed from Bluff on 14 November 1907 and the Expedition arrived at Port PegasusPort Pegasus
Port Pegasus is located at the southern end of Stewart Island in New Zealand. From the 1890s to the 1950s, Port Pegasus was the site of a small fishing community. There was also a small tin-mining boom in the area in the 1890s...
, Stewart Island in the early afternoon. Some disembarked for an episode of botanical collecting. The voyage continued at 9pm that evening with an overnight steam to The Snares
The Snares
Snares Islands/Tini Heke is a small island group situated approximately 200 kilometres south of New Zealand's South Island and to the south-south-west of Stewart Island/Rakiura. The Snares consist of the main island North East Island and the smaller Broughton Island as well as the somewhat...
, which were reached at 6am. All of 15 November was spent at The Snares exploring the islands and collecting soil, rock and botanical specimens. By 16 November the expedition arrived at Auckland Islands and discovered the castaway
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
s of the wreck of the Dundonald
Dundonald (ship)
The Dundonald was a steel, four-masted barque of 2205 tons, which was launched in Belfast in 1891. She was shipwrecked in 1907 in the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands...
. After ensuring that the castaways were supplied with provisions and taking on board one of the castaways to act as a cook for the Campbell Island expedition group, the Auckland Islands expedition party was dropped off at Camp Cove.
Campbell Island was reached on 18 November and the remainder of the expedition was dropped off. The NZGSS Hinemoa returned and picked up the Campbell Island group on 25 November. While the NZGSS Hinemoa was away, the Auckland Islands group, who had also been supplied with a whaleboat and crew, were rowed to various locations around Auckland Islands during their ten day stay. With the return of the NZGSS Hinemoa on the 26 November the Auckland Islands group packed up and boarded the vessel. The ship steamed to Enderby Island on the 27 November for further exploration and specimen hunting and then onto Disappointment Island
Disappointment Island
Disappointment Island is one of seven uninhabited islands of the archipelago Auckland Islands. It is from the north-west end of Auckland Island and south of New Zealand. It is home to the White-capped Albatross. About 65,000 pairs - nearly the entire world population - nest on Disappointment...
on 28 November. A number of expedition members collected specimens and samples while Captain Bollons organised the exhumation of the Chief Mate of the Dundonald for reburial at Hardwicke
Hardwicke, New Zealand
Hardwicke was the name of an agricultural and whaling community set up at Port Ross, a natural harbour on Auckland Island in the Auckland Islands Group in the Southern Ocean south of New Zealand. Although a short-lived settlement was established, it was abandoned within three years.-History:This...
cemetery. The funeral was held that evening. The NZGSS Hinemoa arrived back in Bluff on 30 November 1907.
Findings
The findings from the trip were documented in the following ways:- Chilton, C. (ed.), 1909: The Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand. 2 vols. Government Printer, Wellington. 848 pp
- In numerous press articles, some of which featured images from the voyage and were contributed by expedition participants, for example The Star (Christchurch), Evening Post (Wellington) and the New Zealand Times.
- Images of the Expedition and the Dundonald survivors were published in the Otago Witness (Dunedin) on 18 December 1907..
- Expedition members gave lectures accompanied by a lantern slide presentations of images.
- The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaThe Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
has in its collection an album of photographic prints of the voyage that was presented to Mr W. Bernard North, and also a number of lantern slides relating to the voyage.. - The Alexander Turnbull LibraryNational Library of New ZealandThe National Library of New Zealand is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations"...
has in its collection an album of photographic prints of the voyage presented to Captain Bollons.. - The original photographic negatives from the expedition may be held by Canterbury Museum Library.