Book titled 'A Winter's Tale', used by Australasian Antarctic Expedition members at Cape Denison, Antarctica, 1912-1914

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Books
Place: Antarctica; Cape Denison, George V Land, Antarctica
Materials: Ink, Paper, Textile - non specific
Collection: National Antarctic Heritage collection
Accession number: 2024.0001.0427

Description

A damaged copy of a book titled A Winter's Tale. The book includes pages 7 to 282 with both the front and back covers missing as well as a number of pages. Page 7 reads '"SUCH STUFF AS DREAMS" 7 / than she. Barty, bringing his attention to / bear upon the pair again, found that Birch's / daughter had started on the recital of her own / dreams. ...'. Handwritten in black ink on page 79 is 'S Merewether'.

This publication is one of a wide variety of books supplied to the AAE to occupy expeditioners during non-working hours.

About the collection

This collection comprises approximately 600 objects acquired by the Australian Antarctic Division and its predecessors between the 1940s and 2010s. It includes scientific and communication equipment, navigation and cartographic equipment, specimens, commemorative objects, building fabric, field support vehicles, clothing and field work supplies relating to Australia’s long and distinguished tradition of research and exploration within the Antarctic region. These objects are the largest and most diverse assemblage of surviving material culture demonstrating Australia’s relationship with the subantarctic islands and Antarctic continent between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries. The collection offers remarkable natural and historical significance, notably nineteenth century commercial activities and the early twentieth century expeditions of Sir Douglas Mawson and other explorers that expanded scientific knowledge and laid the foundation for Australia’s enduring presence in the region. From the 1940s, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions undertook major exploratory and scientific work to understand and protect the Antarctic landscape. Australia took a leading role in the International Geophysical Year and the negotiation of a comprehensive environmental protection regime for Antarctica with the establishment of the Antarctic Treaty System from 1959. It records how the Australian Antarctic Division continues to manage Australia’s interests in the Antarctic region, overseeing world-leading research at three permanent continental research stations - Mawson, Casey and Davis - and at subantarctic Macquarie Island.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 5:08:57 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-10-13. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.