The Mawson Expedition
The\xa0Australasian Antarctic Expedition\xa0was a 1911\u20131914 expedition headed by\xa0Douglas Mawson\xa0that explored the largely uncharted\xa0Antarctic\xa0coast due south of\xa0Australia. Mawson had been inspired to lead his own venture by his experiences on\xa0Ernest Shackleton's\xa0Nimrod\xa0expedition\xa0in 1907\u20131909. During its time in Antarctica, the expedition's sledging parties covered around 4,180 kilometres (2,600\xa0mi) of unexplored territory, while its ship,\xa0SY\xa0Aurora, navigated 2,900 kilometres (1,800\xa0mi) of unmapped coastline. Scientific activities included\xa0meteorological\xa0measurements, magnetic observations, an expansive\xa0oceanographic\xa0program, and the collection of many biological and geological samples, including the discovery of the\xa0first meteorite found in Antarctica. The expedition was the first to establish and maintain\xa0wireless\xa0contact between Antarctica and Australia. Another planned innovation \u2013 the use of an aircraft \u2013 was thwarted by an accident before the expedition sailed. The plane's fuselage was adapted to form a motorised sledge or "air-tractor", but it proved to be of very limited use.
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