Sir Lionel George Alfred Hooke - log books (2) written on board S.Y. 'Aurora' whilst employed as wireless operator for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 15 December 1914 - 2 April 1916

fonds

15 December 1914 - 2 April 1916

414267

Digitised : 2014

0.13 metres of textual material (1 box) - manuscript, carbon

Sir Lionel George Alfred Hooke, broadcasting pioneer, radio engineer and businessman, was born in Melbourne in 1895. He joined the Marconi company as a marine wireless operator in 1913. In the following year, Marconi merged with Telefunken to form a new organisation, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd.
On 15 Dec. 1914, Hooke left Sydney on the 'Aurora', employed as wireless operator for the Ross Sea Party of Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. The ship, under the command of Captain Aeneas Mackintosh, left Hobart on Christmas Day 1914 and proceeded to McMurdo Sound via Macquarie Island. The purpose of the Ross Sea Party was to lay depots of food and fuel for Shackleton's Weddell Sea Party (transported to Antarctica on the 'Endurance'), which planned to cross the continent starting from the other side.
After landing the sledging parties in January and February 1915, the 'Aurora' was moored in McMurdo Sound for the winter. An ice-field gradually formed around her. In May, before the winter stores had been landed, the ice began to move, severing the ship's mooring lines and carrying her northwards. The rudder was smashed and she was trapped in the drifting floes until the ice melted in February 1916. The 'Aurora' managed to reach Port Chalmers, New Zealand, in April 1916, where she was refitted for her return (with Shackleton) to collect the depot-laying party in January 1917.
The Ross Sea Party completed its task, although three lives were lost in the process and the depots were ultimately not needed. The Weddell Sea Party never began its planned crossing of Antarctica, because the 'Endurance' became caught in ice in the Weddell Sea before reaching the intended landing-place and drifted northwards to destruction. Shackleton led the company of the 'Endurance' to safety without loss of life.
From New Zealand, Hooke sailed to England to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1918 he transferred to the Royal Air Force. Returning to A.W.A. in 1919, he was promoted to Melbourne manager of the Sydney-based company. In 1925 he was transferred to Sydney as deputy general manager. When Sir Ernest Fisk retired in 1944, Hooke took over as managing director.
Hooke was knighted in 1957 and became chairman of A.W.A. in 1962. He died in Sydney in 1974.

ITEM 1
Sir Lionel George Alfred Hooke log book written on board S.Y. 'Aurora' whilst employed as wireless operator for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 15 December 1914-24 January 1916

ITEM 2
Sir Lionel George Alfred Hooke log book written on board S.Y. 'Aurora' whilst employed as wireless operator for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 29 December 1914-2 April 1916

See also 'The South Polar Trail : the log of Ernest Mills Joyce on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition'. London: Duckworth, 1929. Located at 92/339 Sir William Dixson Library.
Microfilm available at CY 4204