Antarctic boots

'Breaking the Ice: the first year in Antarctica'

An exhibition at the Canterbury Museum.

The exhibition contains items and photographs from the mostly unknown Southern Cross Expedition (1898-1900), starting the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, continued by Scott, Shackleton and others. It was the first expedition to winter-over in Antarctica, first use of dogs and sleds, and undertook some pioneering scientific exploration.

The boots are some of the interesting exhibits. The soles were lined with sennegras, a plant fibre that insulates and absorbs moisture, important because sweat can freeze close to the skin in polar conditions.  This concept was used later in Scott's expeditions.

In extras is an image of the hut built by the expedition members at Cape Adare, first building to be erected in Antarctica.  It is still standing and it is where some of the exhibits were found.  (Under an agreement all exhibits must be returned to the hut after the exhibition.)  The hut on the left of the extra photo was built in 1911 by Scott's Northern Party.  It has succumbed to the high wind conditions at Cape Adare.