Revised List of Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments: new Historic Sites and Monuments No 96 and updating information for Historic Sites and Monuments No 93, 63, 75, and 24
The Representatives,
Recalling the requirements of Article 8 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty to maintain a list of current Historic Sites and Monuments (“HSM”) and that such sites “shall not be damaged, removed or destroyed”;
Recalling
Resolution 3 (2009), which recommended that Parties use the Guidelines for the designation and protection of Historic Sites and Monuments;
Resolution 2 (2018), which recommended that Parties use the Guidelines for the assessment and management of Heritage in Antarctica;
Recommendation VII-9, which added Amundsen’s Cairn to the “List of Historic Monuments Identified and Described by the Proposing Government or Governments”;
Measure 4 (1995), which added Base Y on Horseshoe Island, Marguerite Bay, western Graham Land to the list of HSM;
Measure 1 (2001), which added 'A' Hut of Scott Base, Ross Island to the list of HSM;
Measure 12 (2019), which added the wreck of the Endurance to the list of HSM, and Measure 18 (2022), which amended HSM 93;
Decision 1 (2019), which added new information fields to the List of HSM;
Decision 1 (2021), which sets out the information contained in fields that continue to be a formal part of the List of HSM and that changes to these fields would require adoption through a Measure;
Measure 23 (2021), which adopted the reformatted List of HSM;
Desiring to update the descriptions of Historic Sites and Monuments numbers 93, 63, 75 and 24;
Desiring to add a Commemorative plaque commemorating the first visit to the Lake Untersee area to the list as HSM 96;
Recommend to their Governments the following Measure for approval in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 8 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty:
That:
1. the information in the List of Historic Sites and Monuments for HSM 93, be amended as below:
Description: Wreck of the vessel Endurance, including all artefacts contained within or formerly contained within the ship, which may be lying on the seabed in or near the wreck within a 1500m radius. This includes all fixtures and fittings associated with the ship, including the ship’s wheel, bell, etc. The designation also includes all items of personal possessions left on the ship by the ship’s company at the time of its sinking.
2. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 63, be amended as below:
Description: ‘Base Y’ on Horseshoe Island, Marguerite Bay, western Graham Land. Noteworthy as a relatively unaltered and completely equipped British scientific base of the late 1950s. ‘Blaiklock’, the refuge hut located on Blaiklock Island at 67° 32’ 31.7768’’ S, 67° 11’ 50.6349’’ W, is considered an integral part of the base.
Management tools: Visitor Site Guidelines – 24. Horseshoe Island. A Conservation Management Plan has been prepared.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The site located on a small isthmus on Sally Cove consists of the original main building, a weather balloon shed, dog pens, emergency store, plus a refuge on Blaiklock Island some 20 miles north. There are two masts on high points near the main building, and two small wooden boats in a small cove to the north. Inside, the station contains almost all of its original contents, fixtures and fittings, including kitchen utensils, stocks of food and fuel, workshop tools, radio equipment, and a diesel generator. The excellent condition and completeness of both the buildings and artefacts are of considerable historical significance; together they provide a very special time-capsule of British life and science in the Antarctic during the late 1950s. Historic former science and sledging station now managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust as a heritage site. www.ukaht.org. The site has a comprehensive conservation management plan and is actively conserved by a professional conservation team.
3. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 75, be amended as below:
Name: Hillary's TAE/IGY Hut 'A', Geomagnetic Huts ‘G’ and ‘H’ – Scott Base, Ross Island
Description: Hut A of Scott Base, being the only existing Trans Antarctic Expedition 1956/1957 building in Antarctica sited at Pram Point, Ross Island, Ross Sea Region, Antarctica. Huts G and H are both original buildings from the International Geophysical Year. They remain in the original sites as built in 1957, to the north-west of Hut A. Their physical positions are inextricably linked to a continuous record of scientific observations of the earth’s magnetism, unbroken since 1957. They were prefabricated buildings, designed specially for Antarctic conditions and without ferrous components of any sort, thereby enabling their use for geomagnetic purposes.
Type: Station and huts
Conservation status: Following major conservation work by the New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust 2016-17, Hut A is structurally sound and weathertight and artefact collection has been conserved. Annual monitoring and maintenance ensure ongoing stability of this building.
Conservation works have yet to be carried out on Huts G and H. The buildings are structurally sound and serviceable, showing the wear and tear expected for buildings some 65 years old. The New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust intend to carry out asbestos removal and conservation works on the buildings in the coming years.
Description of the historical context: These buildings represent the beginnings of the New Zealand Antarctic programme in 1957, the base from which Sir Edmund Hillary mounted his traverse to the South Pole by tractor, in support of the Trans Antarctic Expedition. The geomagnetic huts were the hub of the contribution from NZ scientists to the International Geophysical Year (1957-58) and constitute an important site in the history of science on the Antarctic continent; they have provided a continuous international record of scientific observations of the earth’s magnetism, unbroken between 1957-2023.
The huts are closely associated with a number of scientists from 1957–58 to the present day; Dr Trevor Hatherton’s name in particular is well known and highly regarded internationally in the annals of Antarctic science.
Applicable criteria in accordance with Resolution 3 (2009):
a) a particular event of importance in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica occurred at the place
b) a particular association with a person who played an important role in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica
d) representative of, or forms part of, some wide-ranging activity that has been important in the development and knowledge of Antarctica
e) particular technical, historical, cultural or architectural value in its materials, design or method of construction
Management tools: Conservation Management Plan, Code of Conduct, Hut guide system, Briefing to all Scott Base arrivals, Historic Sites and Monuments in the Ross Sea Region poster displayed at stations in the region.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The huts are in the immediate vicinity of Scott Base. Hut A is frequently visited by local base staff from Scott Base and McMurdo, and by seasonal tourist visits. Hut A is kept heated and well maintained. Huts G and H are both still on their original sites, as built in 1957, to the north-west of Hut A.
4. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 24, be amended as below:
Description: Rock cairn, known as ‘Amundsen’s cairn’, in Queen Maud Range, erected by Roald Amundsen on 6 January 1912 on a peak Amundsen named Bettytoppen, on his way back to Framheim from the South Pole.
Location: 85°10'23,8"S 163°36'5,9"W
Conservation status: The cairn remains intact. There is a paraffin tank inside the cairn, which is in good condition. A tin box containing two notes which was originally placed in the cairn by Amundsen, has long since been removed. A plaque commemorating Amundsen’s expedition is placed at the base of the cairn.
5. the following be added to the List of HSM as below:
No: 96
Name: Commemorative plaque commemorating the first visit to the Lake Untersee area.
Description: A brass plaque measuring 220 mm × 120 mm, 4 mm thick, with the names of five members of the 14th Soviet Antarctic Expedition who visited the area in 1969, mounted on an aluminium pipe set on a rocky surface.
Location: 71° 20' 25.0" S, 13° 27' 00" E
Proposing Party: Russian Federation
Party undertaking management: Russian Federation
Type: Commemorative plaque
Conservation status: In good condition
Description of the historical context: At the beginning of 1969, the first visit to Lake Untersee took place. Members of the geological and geophysical team of the 14th Soviet Antarctic Expedition (14 SAE) conducted the first ground survey of the area, which included glaciological, geomorphological, ornithological and hydrological observations, depth measurements and water sampling, collection of materials on moraine deposits and seabed sediments. The first description of the lake area showed its uniqueness and promise for further research and also served as the basis for subsequent expeditions to this area.
Applicable criteria in accordance with Resolution 3 (2009): a) a particular event of importance in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica occurred at the place.
Management tools: Management activities do not require a formal management plan. Observation and necessary actions to maintain the HSM in proper condition will be carried out during scientific expeditions in this area.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The plaque is mounted on an aluminium pipe installed on a rocky surface, on the top of a ridge extending north-south, at its southernmost point, directly above the slope towards the lake.
6. the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty be requested to update the list annexed to Measure 23 (2021) and make it available on its website.
The Representatives,
Recalling the requirements of Article 8 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty to maintain a list of current Historic Sites and Monuments (“HSM”) and that such sites “shall not be damaged, removed or destroyed”;
Recalling
Resolution 3 (2009), which recommended that Parties use the Guidelines for the designation and protection of Historic Sites and Monuments;
Resolution 2 (2018), which recommended that Parties use the Guidelines for the assessment and management of Heritage in Antarctica;
Recommendation VII-9, which added Amundsen’s Cairn to the “List of Historic Monuments Identified and Described by the Proposing Government or Governments”;
Measure 4 (1995), which added Base Y on Horseshoe Island, Marguerite Bay, western Graham Land to the list of HSM;
Measure 1 (2001), which added 'A' Hut of Scott Base, Ross Island to the list of HSM;
Measure 12 (2019), which added the wreck of the Endurance to the list of HSM, and Measure 18 (2022), which amended HSM 93;
Decision 1 (2019), which added new information fields to the List of HSM;
Decision 1 (2021), which sets out the information contained in fields that continue to be a formal part of the List of HSM and that changes to these fields would require adoption through a Measure;
Measure 23 (2021), which adopted the reformatted List of HSM;
Desiring to update the descriptions of Historic Sites and Monuments numbers 93, 63, 75 and 24;
Desiring to add a Commemorative plaque commemorating the first visit to the Lake Untersee area to the list as HSM 96;
Recommend to their Governments the following Measure for approval in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 8 of Annex V to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty:
That:
1. the information in the List of Historic Sites and Monuments for HSM 93, be amended as below:
Description: Wreck of the vessel Endurance, including all artefacts contained within or formerly contained within the ship, which may be lying on the seabed in or near the wreck within a 1500m radius. This includes all fixtures and fittings associated with the ship, including the ship’s wheel, bell, etc. The designation also includes all items of personal possessions left on the ship by the ship’s company at the time of its sinking.
2. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 63, be amended as below:
Description: ‘Base Y’ on Horseshoe Island, Marguerite Bay, western Graham Land. Noteworthy as a relatively unaltered and completely equipped British scientific base of the late 1950s. ‘Blaiklock’, the refuge hut located on Blaiklock Island at 67° 32’ 31.7768’’ S, 67° 11’ 50.6349’’ W, is considered an integral part of the base.
Management tools: Visitor Site Guidelines – 24. Horseshoe Island. A Conservation Management Plan has been prepared.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The site located on a small isthmus on Sally Cove consists of the original main building, a weather balloon shed, dog pens, emergency store, plus a refuge on Blaiklock Island some 20 miles north. There are two masts on high points near the main building, and two small wooden boats in a small cove to the north. Inside, the station contains almost all of its original contents, fixtures and fittings, including kitchen utensils, stocks of food and fuel, workshop tools, radio equipment, and a diesel generator. The excellent condition and completeness of both the buildings and artefacts are of considerable historical significance; together they provide a very special time-capsule of British life and science in the Antarctic during the late 1950s. Historic former science and sledging station now managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust as a heritage site. www.ukaht.org. The site has a comprehensive conservation management plan and is actively conserved by a professional conservation team.
3. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 75, be amended as below:
Name: Hillary's TAE/IGY Hut 'A', Geomagnetic Huts ‘G’ and ‘H’ – Scott Base, Ross Island
Description: Hut A of Scott Base, being the only existing Trans Antarctic Expedition 1956/1957 building in Antarctica sited at Pram Point, Ross Island, Ross Sea Region, Antarctica. Huts G and H are both original buildings from the International Geophysical Year. They remain in the original sites as built in 1957, to the north-west of Hut A. Their physical positions are inextricably linked to a continuous record of scientific observations of the earth’s magnetism, unbroken since 1957. They were prefabricated buildings, designed specially for Antarctic conditions and without ferrous components of any sort, thereby enabling their use for geomagnetic purposes.
Type: Station and huts
Conservation status: Following major conservation work by the New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust 2016-17, Hut A is structurally sound and weathertight and artefact collection has been conserved. Annual monitoring and maintenance ensure ongoing stability of this building.
Conservation works have yet to be carried out on Huts G and H. The buildings are structurally sound and serviceable, showing the wear and tear expected for buildings some 65 years old. The New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage Trust intend to carry out asbestos removal and conservation works on the buildings in the coming years.
Description of the historical context: These buildings represent the beginnings of the New Zealand Antarctic programme in 1957, the base from which Sir Edmund Hillary mounted his traverse to the South Pole by tractor, in support of the Trans Antarctic Expedition. The geomagnetic huts were the hub of the contribution from NZ scientists to the International Geophysical Year (1957-58) and constitute an important site in the history of science on the Antarctic continent; they have provided a continuous international record of scientific observations of the earth’s magnetism, unbroken between 1957-2023.
The huts are closely associated with a number of scientists from 1957–58 to the present day; Dr Trevor Hatherton’s name in particular is well known and highly regarded internationally in the annals of Antarctic science.
Applicable criteria in accordance with Resolution 3 (2009):
a) a particular event of importance in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica occurred at the place
b) a particular association with a person who played an important role in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica
d) representative of, or forms part of, some wide-ranging activity that has been important in the development and knowledge of Antarctica
e) particular technical, historical, cultural or architectural value in its materials, design or method of construction
Management tools: Conservation Management Plan, Code of Conduct, Hut guide system, Briefing to all Scott Base arrivals, Historic Sites and Monuments in the Ross Sea Region poster displayed at stations in the region.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The huts are in the immediate vicinity of Scott Base. Hut A is frequently visited by local base staff from Scott Base and McMurdo, and by seasonal tourist visits. Hut A is kept heated and well maintained. Huts G and H are both still on their original sites, as built in 1957, to the north-west of Hut A.
4. the information in the List of HSM for HSM 24, be amended as below:
Description: Rock cairn, known as ‘Amundsen’s cairn’, in Queen Maud Range, erected by Roald Amundsen on 6 January 1912 on a peak Amundsen named Bettytoppen, on his way back to Framheim from the South Pole.
Location: 85°10'23,8"S 163°36'5,9"W
Conservation status: The cairn remains intact. There is a paraffin tank inside the cairn, which is in good condition. A tin box containing two notes which was originally placed in the cairn by Amundsen, has long since been removed. A plaque commemorating Amundsen’s expedition is placed at the base of the cairn.
5. the following be added to the List of HSM as below:
No: 96
Name: Commemorative plaque commemorating the first visit to the Lake Untersee area.
Description: A brass plaque measuring 220 mm × 120 mm, 4 mm thick, with the names of five members of the 14th Soviet Antarctic Expedition who visited the area in 1969, mounted on an aluminium pipe set on a rocky surface.
Location: 71° 20' 25.0" S, 13° 27' 00" E
Proposing Party: Russian Federation
Party undertaking management: Russian Federation
Type: Commemorative plaque
Conservation status: In good condition
Description of the historical context: At the beginning of 1969, the first visit to Lake Untersee took place. Members of the geological and geophysical team of the 14th Soviet Antarctic Expedition (14 SAE) conducted the first ground survey of the area, which included glaciological, geomorphological, ornithological and hydrological observations, depth measurements and water sampling, collection of materials on moraine deposits and seabed sediments. The first description of the lake area showed its uniqueness and promise for further research and also served as the basis for subsequent expeditions to this area.
Applicable criteria in accordance with Resolution 3 (2009): a) a particular event of importance in the history of science or exploration of Antarctica occurred at the place.
Management tools: Management activities do not require a formal management plan. Observation and necessary actions to maintain the HSM in proper condition will be carried out during scientific expeditions in this area.
Physical features of the environment and cultural and local context: The plaque is mounted on an aluminium pipe installed on a rocky surface, on the top of a ridge extending north-south, at its southernmost point, directly above the slope towards the lake.
6. the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty be requested to update the list annexed to Measure 23 (2021) and make it available on its website.
