's
Southern Cross Expedition (1899). The hut (HSM 22) still stands and is located on
Cape Adare, the cape where in 1895 Borchgrevnik participated in the
first documented landing on Antarctica.
First bases During the
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration in the late 19th century, the first bases on the continent were established. In 1898,
Carsten Borchgrevink, a Norwegian/British explorer, led the
British Antarctic Expedition to
Cape Adare, where he established the first Antarctic base on
Ridley Beach. This expedition is often referred to now as the
Southern Cross Expedition, after the expedition's ship name. Most of the staff were Norwegian, but the funds for the expedition were British, provided by Sir
George Newnes. The 10 members of this expedition explored
Robertson Bay to the west of Cape Adare by dog teams, and later, after being picked up by the ship at the base, went ashore on the
Ross Ice Shelf for brief journeys. The expedition hut is still in good condition and is visited frequently by tourists. The hut was later occupied by Scott's Northern Party under the command of
Victor Campbell for a year in 1911, after its attempt to explore the eastern end of the ice shelf discovered
Roald Amundsen already ashore preparing for his assault on the South Pole. , which is today
Orcadas Base In 1903,
William S. Bruce's
Scottish National Antarctic Expedition set off to Antarctica, with one of its aims to establish a meteorological station in the area. After the expedition failed to find land, Bruce decided to head back to
Laurie Island in the
South Orkneys and find an anchorage there. The islands were well-situated as a site for a meteorological station, and their relative proximity to the South American mainland allowed a permanent station to be established. Bruce instituted a comprehensive program of work, involving meteorological readings, trawling for marine samples, botanical excursions, and the collection of biological and geological specimens. This was to act as living accommodation for the parties that would remain on Laurie Island to operate the proposed meteorological laboratory. The building was constructed from local materials using the
dry stone method, with a roof improvised from wood and canvas sheeting. The completed house was 20 feet by 20 feet square (6m × 6m), with two windows, fitted as quarters for six people. Rudmose Brown wrote: "Considering that we had no
mortar and no
masons' tools it is a wonderfully fine house and very lasting. I should think it will be standing a century hence ..." Bruce later offered to transfer the station and instruments to Argentina on the condition that the government committed itself to the continuation of the scientific mission. Bruce informed the British officer William Haggard of his intentions in December 1903, and Haggard ratified the terms of Bruce's proposition. The
Scotia sailed back for Laurie Island on 14 January 1904, transporting Argentinean officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, National Meteorological Office, Ministry of Livestock and National Postal and Telegraphs Office. In 1906, Argentina communicated to the international community the establishment of a permanent base on the
South Orkney Islands.
Expansion Little happened for the following forty years. The United States starting under the leadership of Admiral
Richard E. Byrd constructed a series of five bases near the
Bay of Whales named
Little America between 1929 and 1958. All of them have now drifted off to sea on icebergs. Before the start of the
Second World War, German aircraft had dropped markers with swastikas across
Queen Maud Land in an attempt to create a territorial claim (
New Swabia). In 1943 the British launched
Operation Tabarin, to establish a presence on the continent. The chief reason was to establish solid British claims to various uninhabited islands and parts of Antarctica, reinforced by Argentine sympathies toward Germany. Led by Lieutenant
James Marr, the 14-strong team left the
Falkland Islands in two ships,
HMS William Scoresby (a minesweeping trawler) and
HMS Fitzroy, on Saturday, January 29, 1944. Marr had accompanied the British explorer Sir
Ernest Shackleton on his final Antarctic expedition in 1921–22. Bases were established during February near the abandoned Norwegian whaling station on
Deception Island, where the
Union Flag was hoisted in place of Argentine flags, and at
Port Lockroy (on February 11) on the coast of
Graham Land. A further base was founded at
Hope Bay on February 13, 1945, after a failed attempt to unload stores on February 7, 1944. These were the first permanent bases to be constructed on the Antarctic mainland. (1902) at
Hut Point Peninsula of
Ross Island, Antarctica, one of the earliest repeatedly temporarily used dwellings on Antarctica. In the background,
McMurdo Station, the largest on Antarctica today, with cargo operations of the supply ship MV
American Tern of
Operation Deep Freeze 2007. A massive expansion in international activity followed the war. Chile organized its
First Chilean Antarctic Expedition in 1947–48. Among other accomplishments, it brought the Chilean president
Gabriel González Videla to personally inaugurate one of its bases, thereby becoming the first head of state to set foot on the continent.
Signy Research Station (UK) was established in 1947, Australia's
Mawson Station in 1954,
Dumont d'Urville Station was the first French station in 1956. In that same year, the United States built
McMurdo Station and
Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, and the Soviet Union built
Mirny Station.
The Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic Treaty, first signed on 1 December 1959 by 12 countries, stated that scientific investigations in research stations in Antarctica can continue, but all observations must be shared. The Antarctic Treaty also stated that Antarctica can only be used for peaceful purposes and any exploitation of the continent such as mining is forbidden, thus scientific research is the only activity that may be performed on Antarctica. As more countries established research stations on Antarctica, the number of signatories of the treaty increased, with 56 signatories as of 2023, 55 of whom utilize their rights and operate research stations in Antarctica. 7 of the signatories also laid claims on Antarctica (and 4 reserved their rights to do so), with the intention of expanding research in those territories in the future. However, research facilities have also been established by countries in the claimed area of other countries. == Permanent active stations ==