Shackleton Centenary Expedition
As you might have noticed - our interactive map has been moved.
We wanted to show you that our focus has changed from the Expedition to the Foundation. If you're looking for the map, and want to listen to those daily broadcasts from Antarctica click here
Another day another website, this time an Australian website called: Classroom Antarctica.
This useful educational website by the Australian Antarctic Division is designed for teachers and students, and is packed with ideas, references, and resources. The idea of the website is to get the teacher to engage with their students on Antarctic issues. Our favourite parts of the website were the 'exploring' and 'living' sections.
According to the website: 'The activities can be used to enhance writing, literature, art, team building and creative thinking skills in your students as well. The activities focus on the study of significant environmental and social issues from a global perspective and promote an appreciation of the important role of Australians in Antarctica.'
We've found a great website run by the State Library of New South Wales which looks at some of the heroic feats that have occurred in Antarctica.
There is also a fantastic section looking at Frank Hurley's photographs taken from the later Shackleton Expedition to Antarctica. You can see some of the photos that Hurley took aboard the Endurance expedition by clicking here.
We were sorry to hear of Sir Edmund Hillary's passing in early January this year.
His funeral today will mark a truly heroic explorer. A legend. Conquering Everest at the age of 33 with Sherpa Tensing Norgay is one of the achievements of the twentieth century, and helps to define the age that we live in today. He also raced to the South Pole later in his life. The world is poorer in his absence, and our thoughts are with his family.
The Economist noted: 'Few men who find themselves cast as heroes early in life continue to command universal esteem till the end. Sir Edmund Hillary was one.'
In an interview for Time magazine in 2003 he said:
I'm sure the feeling of fear, as long as you can take advantage of it and not be rendered useless by it, can make you extend yourself beyond what you would regard as your capacity. If you're afraid, the blood seems to flow freely through the veins and you really do feel a sense of stimulation. If you can summon up your determination and motivation to overcome the fear, you seem to have more energy to tackle the problem and overcome it.
Here is a link to that Time article.
Today we are lucky enough to have an article or two from Matthew Beardmore-Gray. Matthew writes:
'Hello, my name is Matthew Beardmore-Gray and Sir William Beardmore is my great great Uncle. Continuing the family connections I am on the fund raising committee. Unfortunately I cannot personally match William's original donation which in today's terms is worth £430,000!
Lady Beardmore's connection with Shackleton dates from his return to England, invalided from the Discovery in 1904. Her husband, then Sir William Beardmore, had just taken over the Aroll-Johnston motor works, and had several other commercial interests, Lady Beardmore encouraged Shackleton to consider the possibility of being his right hand man as a likely occupation. In 1906 he entered his employment as secretary of the technical committee at Beardmore's engineering works at Parkhead, Glasgow.
This only lasted for a short time, but his friendship with Lady Beardmore continued and with her encouragement Shackleton planned his own Antartic expedition in 1907. Sir William was among those who helped to finance this venture with a loan of £7,000 and his name is perpetuated in the Beardmore Glacier.'
Here is another article by Matthew Beardmore-Gray, chronicling his great-great Uncle's achievements. Sir William Beardmore was one of the key financiers to the Nimrod Expedition, and it's great to have Matthew on our Fundraising Committee one hundred years later.
Matthew writes:
'Engineer and shipbuilder. Born at Greenwich (England), eldest son of another William Beardmore (1825-77). Educated at Glasgow High School and Ayr Academy, he continued his studies at Anderson's Institute (Glasgow) and in London. Beardmore became an apprentice in his father's Parkhead Forge (Glasgow).
After his father died, Beardmore took his place as partner in a successful engineering business, which made boilers for a thriving railway and ship-building industry. In 1899, he was able to buy a ship-yard at Govan on the Clyde, which he soon built into the largest industrial concern in Scotland, with more than 40,000 employees.
Further expansion followed, taking over the Arroll Johnston vehicle plant and the Mossend Steel Works, along with a new shipyard at Dalmuir (Clydebank). Beardmore became a major armaments supplier in the years leading up the First World War, building everything from battleships, to submarines, tanks and aircraft.
After the war, warship production was augmented by the construction of liners, cargo vessels, railway locomotives, motor vehicles, aircraft and marine engines. Beardmore was also responsible for the R-34 airship, built at Inchinnan, which flew the first double-crossing of the Atlantic. However, various other ventures were unsuccessful and the company was found to be almost bankrupt by the late 1920s. It continued on a reduced scale, initially under Sir James Lithgow (1883-1952), but was finally wound-up in 1975. Parkhead Works was demolished and 'The Forge' shopping centre built on the site.
Beardmore made his home at Flichity House (Highland), with its 1215 ha (3000 acre) sporting estate. He also rented Tullichewan House in Alexandria, near Glasgow.
Beardmore sponsored Shackleton's 1907 Antarctic expedition, resulting in one of the world's largest glaciers being named after him. He was created a Baronet in 1914 and raised to the peerage as Lord Invernairn (1921). With no children, he died at Flichity, where he was buried.'
The picture used was taken from the Glasgow Digital Library Red Clydeside project, part of Strathclyde University. They call him one of the key political figures of 1920s Glasgow.
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Mission Statement
Get a capsule view of who we are, where we're going and why we're doing this by reading our brochure.
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Sir Ernest Shackleton is widely known as one of the most inspirational leaders of the twentieth century. The Shackleton Foundation is a new charitable trust.
Matrix Group are proud to be the Headline Sponsors of the Shackleton Centenary Expedition
The South Pole Gazette is a round-up of Antarctic news stories from around the web.
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Please don't hesitate to get in touch with the SCE if you have any questions regarding our project, or if you would like to know more about how you can become a sponsor.
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