King Edward Point - History

History

The area was explored by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04 under Otto Nordenskiöld. It was named around 1906 after King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.

Since 1909 King Edward Point has been the residence of a British Magistrate administering the island.

In 1925, the government of the United Kingdom established a marine laboratory there as part of the Discovery Investigations. On 1 January 1950 the station ownership was assumed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. The station was manned from 1 January 1952 to 13 November 1969.

The British Antarctic Survey provided the British presence at the station until 1982.

At the beginning of the Falklands War on 3 April 1982, Argentine forces occupied South Georgia and closed the station. They were soon expelled during Operation Paraquet and British military forces occupied the point.

A series of civilian Marine Officers was appointed to carry out customs and fisheries duties for the South Georgia Government from 1991, and were billeted with the small garrison.

On 22 March 2001, the British Antarctic Survey reopened the station on behalf of the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI). Most of the old, dilapidated (and arguably historic) buildings were destroyed to make way for new ones, with the exception of Discovery House (1925) and the Gaol (1912).