National Heritage

Conservation
Mawson's Huts Foundation

AAP Mawson’s Huts Foundation

The Australian Associated Press (AAP) was established in Melbourne in 1935 and is an independent company that supplies news and information within Australia and to the Australian bases in Antarctica. The AAP Mawson’s Huts Foundation was established in 1996 to execute conservation works and to prepare a maintenance strategy for Mawson’s Huts Historic Site. The Foundation, in co-operation with the Australian Heritage Commission and the Australian Antarctic Division, and with financial support provided by the Commonwealth Government, has funded seven expeditions to Cape Denison. An expedition is currently (as of July 2009) being planned for the 2009-10 season.

1996/1997 Investigation

In 1996, the Foundation commissioned Godden Mackay to undertake an inspection of Mawson’s Huts and to produce a report on the necessary works required for stabilisation. In January 1997, a site inspection was made by Geoff Ashley. The inspection report identified several important issues for the Main Hut, including that:

the envelope was intact with no significant roof deflections;
the visible Oregon roof structure was in good condition, with some metal corrosion;
the thickness of the roof cladding of the workshop was of concern, with clear potential for imminent failure;
a meltwater pool above a sealskin ‘dam' was higher than internal floor levels; and
a wireless wire near the Main Hut had trapped an Adélie penguin.

In addition to the works set out in the 1993 Conservation Plan Draft Work Plan, the following issues were identified as necessary by the conservation team:

the refixing of the existing roof cladding to the workshop over a new roof cladding;
the recording, excavation and relocation of a pile of seal skins that were located against the east wall of the Main Hut (causing meltwater ingress problems); and
the investigation and selection of an appropriate transparent coating for application to the cladding of Mawson’s Huts to improve the longevity of the external cladding.

1997/1998 Expedition

Godden Mackay then prepared a detailed conservation program in consultation with the Australian Heritage Commission and the Australian Antarctic Division. Between December 1997 and February 1998, Geoff Ashley, of Godden Mackay, was Conservation Team Leader of the AAP Mawson’s Huts Foundation expedition which contained eleven persons to undertake the works. In addition to Geoff Ashley and a conservation team of three builders/carpenters, an archaeologist and a photographer/artist, the party included a doctor, camp manager/cook, journalist, communications officer and expedition leader.

This expedition successfully achieved its conservation objectives, including a building and structures conservation works program (in both the Main Hut and other AAE Huts and Structures), an associated building archival recording and condition survey project and an archaeological program of Mawson’s Huts and Cape Denison as a whole.

Conservation works on the Main Hut included the following:

re-cladding over the existing workshop roof with new Baltic pine boards;
restoration of skylights, skylight covers, ridge capping, valley gutters and adjacent flashings;
removal of snow and ice, as necessary, to gain access and undertake structural repairs; and
reconstruction/restoration of the central platform structure in the living section of the Main Hut.

Conservation works on other AAE huts and the Memorial Cross included the following:

re-cladding of the Magnetograph House roof, rehanging of its double stable door and refixing of loose tar-paper internal lining;
excavation and restoration of original building fabric of the Absolute Magnetic Hut, buried in ice, including four structural members, loose boards and a double stable door;
restoration of the structure of the Transit Hut and refixing of loose boards; and
excavation of the cross arm for the Memorial Cross and its re-attachment to the post using purpose-made stainless steel brackets.

The associated conservation program included:

preparation of measured drawings of each of the huts;
archival photographs of the huts prior to works and photographs during and after works;
photogrammetric recording of the Main Hut;
building structure level surveys;
assessment of timber moisture levels and steel corrosion,
relocation of the 1984 Apple Hut out of the Main Hut valley;
tidying-up of the Granholm Hut and seatainers ready for later repatriation; and
the removal inland and detonation of AAE gelignite explosives located 100m west of the Main Hut and some 1960s emergency flares near the Magnetograph House.

The archaeological program focused on reducing the impact of the building works by recording areas prior to commencement. The work included the following:

use of ice cores in the Main Hut to assist in micro-environment and stratigraphy assessments;
monitoring of ice removal and recording of artefact deposits on the central platform;
internal and external artefact surveys;
deployment of dataloggers to record temperature and relative humidity and hand-held readings;
forensic investigation of the remains of the AAE husky dog; and
repatriation to Australia of Webb's Lantern and an AAE kerosene can.39

Ice was removed to gain access to the Main Hut and to undertake works to stabilise the living section platform. Approximately 40 cubic metres were removed. Figure 7.14 shows the amount of ice remaining after the works were completed. Approximately 301 cubic metres remain in the Main Hut: 176 cubic metres in the verandahs (fifty-eight percent of total ice in Main Hut); 50.5 cubic metres in the living section (seventeen percent of total ice and twenty-eight percent in living section space); and 74.5 cubic metres in the workshop (twenty-five percent of total ice and sixty-six percent in workshop space).

The approved I997198 works plan called for the temporary removal of the original roof boards on the Workshop, the fixing a new layer of Baltic pine boards and the re-fixing of the original boards. However, site tests revealed the difficulty of doing this without damage to original fabric. The process would also have been very time-hungry, a critical factor given the scarcity of wind-free days. The approved work plan allowed for an alternative approach of cladding new boards over the original in situ boards, and this was undertaken.

The new boards could have been placed upside down to hide a protective honey-brown UVC finish (Intergrain) added in Hobart, but meant to be hidden under the original boards. Due to the asymmetrical manner in which the boards had been cut, this would have exposed the tongue and groove board joints in about half the time than if the boards were placed with the treated side facing upwards. A decision was made to expose the new finish and accept a short-term visual impact from the coloured boards in exchange for doubling the life of the new boards. This experience
highlighted the need for careful consideration of any use of protective coatings. The results of the expedition reinforced the need for agreed alternative options to be developed as part of work plans, the difficulties associated with intervention in existing fabric, and for decisions to be based on an assessment of both shod and long term impacts.

Deployment of Monitoring Equipment

The AAP Mawson's Huts Foundation Seminar of October 1998 strongly endorsed the need to undertake monitoring of the Main Hut. The Foundation assisted in the purchase of monitoring equipment, including temperature and relative humidity sensors and a datalogger. A private expedition to Cape Denison kindly deployed the monitors in January 1999, following cancellation of an ANARE expedition which was to deploy the monitors. The works undertaken in 1998 showed the hut to be in good condition, although an amount of snow drift had entered the Main Hut through the roof and had collected on plastic sheets left to monitor snow and meltwater ingress. The private expedition also kindly removed some equipment left unintentionally in 1998. The results of the monitoring are contained in a report by Vinod Daniel of the Australian Museum, included as Appendix C of this CMP. An analysis of these results will guide the implementation guidelines identified in this plan.

2000/01 Expedition

A second, and equally successful, AAP Mawson's Huts Foundation workparty expedition of eight persons visited the site between December 2000 and January 2001 as a follow-up of the I997198 expedition.

Works completed included:

an assessment of works undertaken by the 1997198 expedition, measurement of snow and ice build-up since the 1997198 expedition inside the Living Section of the Main Hut and removal of approximately 190kg of snow and ice;
removal of 8 tons of snow and ice inside the Workshop to gain access to the collar ties;
calibration and reconfiguration of the monitoring equipment deployed inside the Main Hut;
the addition of six short lengths of 50mm X 15mm battens over gaps between tongue and groove boards to the southern plane of the Main Hut roof in an attempt to reduce snow and meltwater ingress through the most visible location of this ingress;
documentation and removal of post-BANZARE artefacts, including the remains of post-1950s occupation inside the Magnetograph House;
a clean-up of the area between the 1978 Granholm Hut and the edge of Boat Harbour that involved cutting up and removing two large 1970s 'Sealainers' full of ice and rubbish, removing rusty fuel drums and removing rubbish from inside the Granholm Hut;
continuation of site fabric investigations and artefact recording across the site, including surface moisture content measurements, snow and ice sampling for conductivity and chloride content analysis, wood sampling for deterioration analysis, and measurement of ambient light and ultra-violet radiation; and
initial investigation of sub-floor conditions.

Work planned but not completed in 1997198 and also not completed during this expedition included the repair of collar ties in the Workshop and the removal of the Granholm Hut from the Historic Site. A number of the rafters in the Workshop were found to have failed where they connected to the collar ties and repair was considered to be outside the scope of the expedition's time and resources. It was considered by the expedition that the Granholm was a useful resource during the undertaking of significant works programs and should remain at least until completion of significant works.

Expedition members, in their reports, made a range of recommendations regarding potential future works, including repairing the Living Section roof to prevent snow and meltwater ingress and removing ice from the Main Hut, ongoing research, site recording and additional areas of monitoring.

2005/06 Expedition

This expedition was a preparatory 8 day visit by a party of 4 to undertake preparation and investigation for a major conservation effort in the summer of 2006-2007.

2006/07 Expedition

Extract from the Mawson's Huts Conservation Expedition 2006 Expedition Report, compiled and edited by Dr Ian Godfrey.

"The 2006 Mawson’s Huts Foundation expedition boarded L’Astrolabe on the evening of 20 October 2006 and returned on the private ship Sarsen on 4 January 2007 after a highly successful expedition.

Thick pack ice slowed the journey south and stopped L’Astrolabe when she was approximately 70 kms from Cape Denison. Helicopters were then used to deploy the expedition team, supplies and equipment. These operations commenced on the evening of 29 October and were completed on 31 October. The helicopter flight in to Cape Denison showed that most of the roof of the living quarters of the Main Hut was covered with snow and ice, with the Magnetograph House completely buried. The latter did not emerge for the duration of the trip.

Despite the extensive snow coverage the team was able to achieve the major objective of the Works Plan, that being over-cladding of the living quarters roof. This was a major challenge due to the huge amount of snow that covered the building. An underlying fear was that ice and snow removal from the roof could easily be undone by subsequent blizzards. In an attempt to minimise this risk, snow blocks removed from the roof planes were used to construct a snow wall on the southern side of the Main Hut. This tactic was successful and despite many days of strong winds and wind-borne snow, very little snow was deposited in the trenches that were excavated to expose the roof planes. In total, approximately 80 m3 of snow and ice were removed from the roof planes. Weather forecasts provided by the Casey and Davis meteorological teams were critical to our success, allowing us to plan our activities to coincide with appropriate weather windows. Their service was impressive, remarkably accurate and a godsend to the team.

In addition to successfully over-cladding the roof, the team also removed the original flagpole from the apex of the living quarters roof and installed a replica in its place. The replica was made to the estimated dimensions of the original. The fragile nature of the original pole and its possible loss in strong winds prompted this action. The original pole was carefully packed and returned to Australia for conservation.
There was no evidence of recent snow/ice ingress other than that recorded during the 2005 expedition. This is most likely due to the extensive snow coverage that has effectively sealed the building and prevented further snow from entering through previously identified entry areas. Unfortunately, while this heavy snow coverage prevented additional snow ingress during 2006, it also prevented the team from undertaking remedial work to seal areas that are known entry points for drift snow, such as the junctions between the roof planes and walls in the workshop and Main Hut verandahs.

Snow and ice were removed from many locations in the living quarters including Webb’s bunk in the south-west corner, above Mawson’s cubicle (exposing the ‘skylight’ in his room and allowing natural light to enter this space for the first time in many years), the south-east corner (‘Hyde Park Corner’), Laseron’s bunk, the north-east corner (including what is likely to be Murphy’s bunk) and from some of the kitchen shelves. A number of interesting artefacts, including personal items and sledging supplies were exposed during these excavations.

In order to determine whether over-cladding has any impact on the interior environment of the Main Hut, the following electronic and corrosion monitoring work was undertaken:

Stored data was downloaded from the logging system.
Redundant and damaged temperature and relative humidity sensors were removed.
Viable sensors were calibrated and relocated so that environmental conditions could be compared in corresponding locations in the living quarters and the workshop.
Previously exposed corrosion monitoring cells were removed and new cells installed so that the effects of the internal environment on corrosion rates can be compared (pre and post over cladding) with that of the external environmental conditions.

Four objectives of the works program were not achieved. The extent of the snow coverage prevented access to the interface between the walls and the roof planes, thereby preventing work being undertaken to seal previously identified areas of snow ingress into the building and to over-clad the south wall of the Main Hut. No attempt was made to excavate ice to floor level from the entrances/doors to the workshop. As all areas of snow ingress had not been sealed, this action was considered premature. A fourth objective was also not realised, that being to make an outgoing call from the satellite phone connected to the environmental monitoring system. This was attempted in order to allow the system to be recognised by the Iridium network and therefore allow external access to the environmental data as it was being collected. The environmental monitoring system will continue to accumulate data but this will not be available until it is downloaded during the next expedition to the site.

Additional work undertaken included:

The installation of vibration sensors to monitor any movement in structural timbers over the coming year.
Sampling of mould outbreaks noted on artefacts (food, paper objects) and timber panels.
Relocation of the timber stack from in front of the Granholm Hut to a site adjacent to the Sorensen Hut.
Replacement of the single barrel lock on the workshop door with two locks (top and bottom) to reduce distortion and assist in reducing snow ingress.
Improving the amenity of the Sorensen Hut by extending the decking and installing a set of stairs.

The team also hosted visits to the site by expeditioners from the Spirit of Enderby and the Sarsen. Tours through the hut were given as was shelter in the Sorensen and Granholm Huts when blizzard-like conditions arose during a visit by the Spirit of Enderby expeditioners.

This report recommends that future work at the site be directed towards:

Monitoring and remediation work in areas of snow ingress with particular attention to wall/ceiling junctions.
Over-cladding of the south wall of the Main Hut in the longer term.
Removal of more snow and ice to reveal interior spaces and artefacts.
Continuation of the monitoring program.
The development of an interpretation plan to guide conservation processes for the interior of the Main Hut (artefacts and fittings such as shelves etc) and to take into account the possible eventuality of fuller exposure of the floor (and associated artefacts) in both the workshop and the living quarters as the hut is better sealed and ablation continues in the future.
Prioritisation of artefacts for conservation treatment and commencement of an active program designed to stabilise corroding and deteriorating artefacts.
Documentation of the transit hut, absolute magnetic hut and magnetograph house.

Improvements in the visual protection zone, including painting of the Granholm Hut to reduce the effects of its presence in this zone, while major works continue at the Main Hut and while it is still considered an important on-site refuge. Note that this recommendation is at odds with the recently issued draft management plan and will be the subject of further discussion. Building and packing materials should be removed from this zone when they emerge from the snow and ice."

2007/08 Expedition

Extract from the Mawson's Huts Conservation Expedition 2007-08 Expedition Reports, compiled and edited by Peter McCabe.

"One week prior to our departure the Mawson’s Huts expedition team met as a group for the first time. Some of us were strangers and some had crossed Antarctic paths before. I had already been in Hobart for five weeks working from the Antarctic Division preparing materials for the extension to Sorensen Hut. Two weeks before departure, Jon and Steve had also arrived to continue preparations. In this final week we packed up our food, field equipment and work materials ready for departure. At 2200 on December the 5th, the team were onboard L’Astrolabe watching the lights of Hobart disappear on the horizon as we set sail for Cape Denison.

Our passage was fairly ice free; there was some congestion of ice around Dumont D’Urville (DDU) so the French captain decided to deploy us before heading to DDU, which gave us a few bonus days right from the start.

The helicopter cargo operations ran very smoothly, Anne and Michelle remained on L’Astrolabe checking off our cargo inventory before catching the last flight to our camp.

After setting up camp our first priority was to gain access to Mawson’s Hut. The top third of the entry door was exposed, and after a decent day digging a pedestrian friendly passage was carved down to the front door which served us well for the Mawson's Huts Conservation Expedition 2007-08: Expedition Reports duration of our stay. This enabled the immediate start to Michelle and Anne’s work inside the hut, and also enabled everyone to begin their respective work programs.

Data was downloaded from the tiny tag system and whole monitoring system was recalibrated. Snow ingress was assessed and full details on the interior work inside Mawson’s Hut are available in the material conservator and archaeologist reports. We were most interested to inspect the effectiveness of the new roof cladding on the main hut, which seemed to provide an excellent barrier over last winter with only some small snow deposits recorded in the hut. Anne also spent many days conducting a survey of the cape in segments to document any artefact scatter in the region. The magnetograph hut and absolute magnetic huts were both only just visible when we arrived.

This year’s major project was to double the size of the Sorensen Hut, accommodating a new laboratory and a six bunk bedroom. A vast quantity of material was required to complete the project, far more than L’Astrolabe could accommodate. Subsequently this first cargo drop only delivered materials for the sub floor section. A second wave of cargo had been organised through Don McIntyre and Orion Expeditions. All of the freezer panels for the new hut were pre-packaged in Hobart and sailed down on board the Orion. Blessed with stunning weather on the day of their arrival the panels were ferried across from the ship to be unloaded on the sea ice in Boat Harbour. The Spirit of Denison sled and quad bikes were then used to tow the gear across to Sorensen. The hut was successfully completed to lock up stage and completely tied down for the coming winter. With only five weeks in total on the ice there was some concern that we would run short of time, but the combination of long days and phenomenal weather saw us moving into the new rooms and out of the tents a week before our final departure.

This was the first time a qualified electrician had been part of the team. Steve’s program was to develop a new wiring system that would replace the extension leads and lead lights that have been used in the past. Both the old and new structures at Sorensen Hut now have professionally fitted power points and fluorescent tube lights. The power system combines the use of solar, wind and petrol generators, with the ability to alternate between each energy resource. On a clear day computers can be charged and lights can be run well into the night on the 12volt solar. A new Dunlite 5.8kva generator was purchased by the Foundation and used this year with the intention of needing a large power output for some of the laboratory equipment in the future. Although providing ample power for our tools and equipment it did consume far more fuel than the smaller 2.5kva Honda already on site. The Dunlite will prove its worth once the oven and fume hood equipment is used in the lab, but for conservation of fuel it is recommended to use the smaller generator for general use.

There were two photographic programs in progress this season. Peter Morse used a combination of camera equipment to record images inside the hut and also of the surrounding Cape Denison. The two main image forms he was processing was stereoscopic and 360 degree. Both can be used for virtual reality projection and the 360 degree images from inside Mawson’s Hut provide amazing detail, and will be an excellent tool for conservation decisions to be made without actually being in the Antarctic. It also delivers a lounge chair tour of the hut and surrounds for those with an interest in the area that are unable to visit the site.

The other photographic work was undertaken by artist Brett Jarrett, who collected thousands of images of the local wildlife to gather subject matter for an exhibition of paintings in the coming years. In his travels he found a rare Leucistic Adelie penguin, this pale little creature was born with very low melanin levels which gave it a cream completion where it should have been black. Brett was also the official photographer, documenting work progress and gathering images for sponsors. He also gave Granholm hut a camouflaged paint job to help it blend into the environment.

The team also installed a tide gauge in collaboration with a French/Australian tide gauge program to calculate the sea level in boat harbour. This is the first time that the sea level has been properly recorded since Mawson’s team in 1912. See further information in Jon Tucker’s report.

We were visited on three occasions by tourist ships. First was the Spirit of Enderby on December 17th. On board was Emlyn Thomas, one of Sir Douglas Mawson’s grandsons, who brought along memorabilia including one of Mawson’s balaclavas bearing the Jaeger brand that also appeared on our badged sleaves. The Orion visited us on December 20th delivering our freezer panels as their guests enjoyed some supreme Cape Denison weather. Orion visited once again on January 7th, and again on January 23rd. The latter visit was after we left with conditions not so favourable. But Don McIntyre managed to get ashore and reboot the tiny tag system which had mysteriously stopped transmitting the day after we left.

Relations with the tourist groups are very firm, and the Orion team especially were wonderful in helping us out with some logistical issues. The team was openly invited to board both vessels for warm showers and restaurant dining in return for all our hard digging in gaining access to the hut. Anne and Michelle worked with the tourists and guide attending the tours through the hut.

This was also the first year for an official expedition blog site. Peter Morse set up the site which proved highly successful. Daily sitreps, personal accounts and small picture files were all able to be posted to the blog site. A link was placed on the Foundation’s website and became a wonderful way for family, friends and general public to keep up to date with our activities. It will become a perpetual site with each trip now and it’s sure to gain more exposure, providing an added attraction for the team sponsors.

Additional works this season included:

The construction of a platform under Sorensen hut for gas bottle storage
Servicing of the quads including replacing two wheels and one trailer tyre
Installation of a permanent aerial for the Iridium phone on Sorensen Hut
Servicing to the automatic weather station
Comprehensive inventories of equipment in Sorensen and Granholm Huts
Successfully returned all cage pallets back to Australia on our return
voyage.

Further recommendations are categorised in the field leaders report, but as a general overview this report recommends:

The completion of the lab interior and installation of equipment for
conservation artefacts from the hut
Additional upgrades to Sorensen Hut and apple
A user guide for living at Sorensen Hut be developed for briefing teams in
the future
Expeditions continue to be conducted in the months of December and
January
Helicopter operations using cage pallets should be favoured over internal
loading to provide optimum efficiency

The team flew out of Cape Denison and back to L’Astrolabe around mid night on the 15th of January. Once again operations were smooth and a strong bond has been made between the Mawson’s Huts Foundation and the French, which should serve us well for logistical negotiations in the future. On the homeward journey we visited Dumont D’Urville and were shown warm hospitality, and spent one evening presenting them a slide show of our activities around at Cape Denison. In conclusion it is worth reiterating how well the team worked together; the time frame was tight for this year’s expedition."

Conservation Mawson's Huts Foundation