SY Aurora's Drift - Background

Background

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition comprised two parties. The first, under Ernest Shackleton, sailed to the Weddell Sea in the Endurance, intending to establish a base there from which a group would march across the continent via the South Pole to McMurdo Sound on the Ross Sea side. A second party under Aeneas Mackintosh was to be taken by Aurora to a Ross Sea base with the task of laying supply depots along the expected route of Shackleton's march, a mission which Shackleton had not anticipated would present Mackintosh's party with any great difficulties. However, Shackleton had devoted little time to the details of the Ross Sea operation. Consequently, on arriving in Australia to take up his appointment, Mackintosh found himself beset by a series of financial and organisational problems, the most serious of which concerned Aurora. The Arctic whaling veteran, though strongly built, was 40 years old and had recently returned from Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition in need of an extensive refit. After the intervention of the eminent Australian polar scientist Edgeworth David the Australian government provided money and dockyard facilities to make Aurora fit for further Antarctic service.

Of the Ross Sea party that eventually sailed in December 1914, only Mackintosh, Ernest Joyce in charge of the dogs, and ship's boatswain James "Scotty" Paton had significant experience of Antarctic conditions. Some of the party were last-minute additions: Adrian Donnelly, a railway engineer who had never been to sea, became Aurora's second engineering officer, while Lionel Hooke, the wireless operator, was an 18-year-old apprentice. Aurora's chief officer was Joseph Stenhouse, from the British India Steam Navigation Company. Stenhouse, who was 26 years old when he joined the expedition, was in Australia recovering from a bout of depression when he heard of Shackleton's plans, and had travelled to London to secure the Aurora post. Although as a boy he had been inspired by the polar exploits of Fridtjof Nansen, Scott and William Speirs Bruce, Stenhouse had no direct experience of Antarctic waters or ice conditions.