Digging into the Past – An archive as a tool to compile and establish a timeline of human impact in our polar heritage. Creating products to raise awareness.

Abstract

South Africa is involved in the Antarctic region since the heroic age, although the first South African only reach the South Pole in 1959. Cape Town has been a port and gateway for vessels to the Antarctic Continent as early as 1739. The sealing industry also made use of South Africa to sub-Antarctic Islands. Since 2009 material has been collected for a digital archive. Especially in the South Africa context ALSA has the responsibility to establish the correct history timeline of involvement. A study of documentation and images was done to create a timeline since before the heroic age. The timeline started form a low impact for an exhibition and pan out to be part of the digital museum, posters for established museums, public lectures to specific groups. These timelines will be an important input an addition to establishing Capet Town as gateway city within the global gateway city project. In this presentation a timeline of South Africa’s involvement in the Antarctic, Marion and Gough Island as well as vessels to the Antarctic will be shown that will include humans, infrastructures and research programmes. In creating these timelines it once again show the rich history of South Africa in the Antarctic region and a polar heritage to be proud of.