Auckland City Council
Media release
12 June 2008
Focus on Antarctica
Antarctica: a tale to tell is an intriguing exhibition of books, maps, manuscripts, photographs and ephemera at the
Central City Library until August.
The title of the exhibition is from a quote from Captain Scott’s final message to the public: “Had we lived I should
have a tale to tell … which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman.”
Items exhibited have been chosen from the library’s special collections and cover a wide period, from early exploration
through to the Erebus disaster, and more recent environmental concerns.
Among the earliest is the first published account of Antarctica: Journal of the Resolution’s Voyage, 1772 – 1775.
Published in 1776, this account by Seaman John Marra talks of Captain James Cook’s second voyage, which crossed the
Antarctic Circle at several points, as illustrated in a fold-out map.
“This is a valuable opportunity to share with Aucklanders our country’s Antarctic heritage and revisit some of those
near-forgotten ties with that continent,” says Councillor Paul Goldsmith, chairperson of the Community Services
Committee.
A diary written by seaman William Loudon in 1935 brings a personal note to the exhibition. He describes the voyage from
Port Chalmers to pick up Admiral Byrd and his party of 56 men who had overwintered at his base Little America. The
author has illustrated the diary with small photographs taken on the voyage including subjects such as killer whales,
huskies and sailing ships.
A more recent exhibit is a souvenir menu from an Air New Zealand flight over Antarctica piloted by Captain Vette in
November 1977 – two years before the ill-fated Flight 901. With a large penguin on its cover, the menu – on loan to the
library – demonstrates the sumptuousness of these first scenic Antarctic flights.
Special collections includes many rare and unusual items spanning several centuries, many donated to the library by
Auckland families who wanted the reassurance that items would be well cared for, yet remain accessible to future
generations.
The exhibition continues through until 24 August on the Heritage Floor, level 2 at Central City Library, 9am to 5pm
weekdays and 10am to 4pm weekends. Entry is free.
ENDS