Charles Turnbull Harrisson papers, 1911-1913

MLMSS 7361/Box 1X

fonds

1911-1913

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Drawings

421777

Microfilm : CY 4578, frames 1-164 (MLMSS 7361)

0.16 metres of textual material (1 outsize box)
Textual Records - (manuscript)
Drawings

Charles Turnbull Harrisson was born in Hobart in 1868. In 1911 he joined the Australasian Antarctic Expedition as biologist and artist of the Western Base Party. Under Frank Wild this party was landed on the Shackleton Ice Shelf, Queen Mary Land on 15 February 1912 and Harrisson accompanied Wild on his main eastern sledge journey as well as taking part in several other expeditions. He remained at the Western Base until 23 February 1913 when the party was relieved by SY Aurora.

Item 1 (CY 4578, frames 6-43 (transcription), frames 44-120 (sledging journal))

Sledging journal written in Pitman's shorthand (with a typescript transcription), 22 Aug.- 15 Sept., 26 Sept.- 25 Oct. 1912

Includes six 'Sketches from Memory/ Eastern Depot Trip', dated 19 October 1912 (see frame 71). The journal describes two depot trips of Frank Wild's Western Party. In the first (22 Aug.- 15 Sept. 1912), Wild led six men on an 84 mile journey in atrocious weather conditions. The second, consisting of five men, was led by Evan Jones and was away for five weeks, for 17 days of which they were tent-bound by blizzards.

Item 2 (CY 4578, frames 121-153)

Sketchbook (Walker's 'Artist' Sketch Book No. 1), 30 December 1911-12 January 1913, with 29 pencil sketches and a loosely inserted sketch of SY Aurora

The sketchbook covers the whole of the Western Party's expedition and provides a graphic record of the sledging journeys and life at the base camp.

Item 3 (CY 4578, frames 154-159 (menus etc.), frames 160-161 (photograph)

Menus, 1912, being three pen and ink 'Base 2' illustrated menus on AAE headed notepaper: Birthday Dinner Mr Frank Wild, 18 April 1912; Midwinter Day Dinner, 22 June 1912; Birthday Dinner Mr AD Watson, 27 June 1912; and studio portrait photograph of Harrisson (silver gelatin photoprint, postcard size) inscribed 'C.T. Harrisson/Taken in Decr. 1911/Mrs Harrisson/Wentworth/Bellerive' on reverse

An earlier accession of C.T. Harrisson's papers, 2 Dec. 1911 - 12 Apr. 1913, is located at MLMSS 386 (microfilm copy at CY 1188, frames 1-294).