The Trans-Antarctic Association (Registered Charity No. 205773) was established to promote, organise, encourage or support scientific research or expeditions of discovery in the Antarctic.
The association arose from the profit made by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE) (1955-58) led by Sir Vivian Fuchs. Amongst other achievements, the TAE completed the first crossing of Antarctica, and an overview of the expedition can be found below.
Leaders of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition Sir Vivian Fuchs (right) and Sir Edmund Hillary in Wellington after the expedition. (Photo credit: Ref: PAColl-9531-02. Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of NZ).
Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary in a field camp.
1955-58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Crossing Party]
Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs (Leader of expedition; appointed Magistrate by Falkland Islands Dependencies Government)
Harald Marø (Master MV Theron)
Hans Christian Petersen (Master MV Magga Dan)
Members from Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa participated. In January and February 1956 Theron established ‘Shackleton’ base at 77.98 S, 37.17 W, on the Filchner Ice Shelf, and eight men led by Kenneth Victor Blaiklock wintered for 1956. The ship also visited South Georgia and Southern Thule in the South Sandwich Islands. During 1956-57 Magga Dan transported the main crossing party to ‘Shackleton’ and also visited South Georgia. Theron visited the Royal Society International Geophysical Year Expedition station at Halley Bay. Reconnaissance and survey sledge journeys were made in Coats Land. In April 1957 aircraft of a Royal Air Force detachment established ‘South Ice’ advance base, 440 km inland from ‘Shackleton’. Field parties investigated Shackleton Range, Theron Mountains and Whichaway Nunataks. Antarctica was crossed by 12 men overland from ‘Shackleton’ to ‘Scott Base’ between 24 November 1957 and 2 March 1958 (3500 km in 99 days) and the United States South Pole station was visited between 20 to 24 January 1958. A single-engined Otter aircraft, piloted by John Harding Lewis, flew across the continent from ‘South Ice’ to ‘Scott Base’ on 6 January 1958. Seismic soundings, gravity, glaciological and meteorological studies were conducted during the crossing.
1955-58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Support Party]
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (Leader of support party; appointed Magistrate of the Ross Dependency)
Henry Kirkwood (Captain HMNZS Endeavour)
Coordinated by Vivian Ernest Fuchs, a New Zealand party of three men accompanied the United States expedition in 1955-56 summer to reconnoitre the McMurdo Sound area of the Ross Sea for a winter station. In 1956-57 Endeavour established the New Zealand support party and the New Zealand International Geophysical Year Expedition at ‘Scott Base’, on Pram Point, Ross Island (1957 winter party, led by Robert Walter Balham). Aircraft and sledge parties reconnoitred the route into the interior of Victoria Land. From October 1957 to 4 January 1958 an overland route from ‘Scott Base’ to the South Pole was pioneered. Five men completed the traverse. Joseph Holmes Miller led a party making topographic surveys in Victoria Land. The Northern Survey made extensive summer journeys inland from Mawson Glacier to Skelton Glacier. The Darwin Glacier Survey worked from Skelton Glacier to Darwin Mountains. The Southern Survey worked in the Queen Alexandra Range, and over 2000 km of dog sledging was accomplished during these operations.
Further information
Both Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmond Hillary wrote books of their experiences on the Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
- Fuchs, V.; Hillary, E. (1958). The Crossing of Antarctica. London: Cassell.
- Hillary, E. (1961). No Latitude for Error. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- George Lowe and Huw Lewis-Jones (2014). The Crossing of Antarctica Original Photographs From The Pioneering Expedition