The End of the Heroic Era-day 2

Saturday 25 March 2017.

Up early and was down at the museum by 8.05 am and into the café for breakfast. Order eggs on toast and went and sat down. While waiting I looked down at my white shirt and thought what a place to spill some yellow egg yolk. Then thought about the wisdom of my order. Anyway my breakfast arrived and I ate it very carefully and came away with stain free shirt--the day had started well.

The venue at the Navel Museum, Torpedo Bay, Devonport.

After breakfast I registered, picked up my conference name tag and programme, all nicely laminated and on a cord to fit around your neck. At 8.50 am the conference started and from then until the end on Sunday it ran like clockwork or in Naval fashion. The leader of the organising committee, Brett Fotheringham, is a Naval Officer. The days programme was a full one and all presentations were good and too the point. The last by Oliver Sutherland who I last met in 1962 as nineteen uni student down south to study penguins. He was not allowed to camp out at Cape Royds by himself and one of his companions was Grahame Billings. Oliver became Forbush in Grahame book “Forbush and the Penguins”  

Oliver Sutherland, the nineteen year of student complete with his Antarctic shirt, 1962 vintage

0850    Introduction/Programme Outline
0915    “The Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration” – Brett Fotheringham
1000    Morning Tea
1030    “Ross – a polar Hero” – Philippa Ross
1115    “Ross Sea Party 1914-17” – Richard McElrea
1200  Lunch
1300    Introduction
1305    “Conserving the legacy of Scott and Shackleton” – Nigel Watson
1350    “The Northern party – winter 1912” – Don Webster
1430      Afternoon Tea
1450    “The Heroic Era and Beyond - an International Perspective” –
Ursula Rack
1535    “‘The Last Inhabitant of Shackleton’s Hut’” – Oliver Sutherland
1555    Brief Updates:
    1. Scott Statue – Sue Stubenvoll
    2. Polar Heritage Conference – Nigel Watson
    3. 200th anniversary of Bellingshausen's discoveries – Philippa Ross
    4. Scott tribute – Dick Reaney
1615    Key information for Sunday programme – Brett Fotheringham
Dog Watch Drinks:
1620  Social gathering, “Beers in the Boatshed”, Navy Museum Boatshed.

My talk was in the afternoon and was preceded by four other presentations. I was relieved to see that several read their papers and had little eye contact. I had practise looking up while reading at home but always lost my place. This couple with small intimate conference room made me relax somewhat.

Just before two o'clock it was my turn and everything seemed to go OK except for the couple of times when I tried to ad lib. I got through the ordeal even if sometimes my PowerPoint slides got out of sync. I had to read and work slide controller, and being a man multi-tasking doesn’t come naturally. Anyway at afternoon tea I got a few questions and congratulations.

With the presentation over I could relax and enjoy the rest of the conference.

Dog Watch drinks in the Boat Shed.

The End of the Heroic Era–day 1

May bags packed and all my tickets ready I waited for my son-in-law to arrive and take me from my Retirement Village down through Palmerston North to the airport for my 11.50 am flight to Auckland.  It wasn’t Gary but Jane my daughter that arrive in their little Smart car and we headed to the airport.
Off we went across town through the rain—yes it does sometime rain in Palmerston North.  With some time to fill in I decided to take a photo of the outside of the terminal. I got wet and photo half obscured by the flap of the phone cover. Included here for your enjoyment. You will notice I got the name OK.

Good flight, landed safely and the Shore Shuttle driver was waiting for me. He whisked me off through Auckland, across the Harbour Bridge and dropped me kerbside right outside my accommodation.

About 5 pm walked down to the Naval Museum for the meet-and-greet cocktail party. Here I met several people I knew from the Antarctic and others I knew by name. The most important discovery was the number of attendees and saw the conference room. I was relieved in seeing the small room and that there were only going to be about 50 people. I would not be talking to a very large audience.

The End of the Heroic Era

With the arrival on 9 February, 1917 of the SS Aurora in Wellington with the surviving members of the Ross Sea Party of the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration was said to have ended.
Now some 100 years later the New Zealand Antarctic Society in association with the Royal New Zealand Navy celebrates the 100th anniversary with a three day conference at the Naval Museum, Torpedo Bay, Devonport, Auckland from Friday 24 March  to Sunday 26 March.

The End of the Heroic Era conference

Friday 24 March
        1745 - 1830 Cocktail Party
Saturday 25 March
        0850 – 1620  Introduction, seven papers, lunch, and discussion time
        1620 – 1730. Dog Watch drinks
Sunday 26 March
       1000 – 1100 Commemorative Service at the St. Christopher’s Navy Chapel
       1100 – 1200 Walking tour of the Naval Base.
       1200 – 1245  Lunch
       1250 – 1610  four more papers.
       1610 – 1730  Dog Watch drinks
Finally private function involving a group from the 1963 Scott Base wintering-over party having special reunion dinner from 1830 onwards.