Douglas Mawson

Sir Douglas Mawson was born on May 5, 1882, in Yorkshire and immigrated as an infant to Sydney. Graduating in mining engineering and geology from the University of Sydney under Edgeworth David, Mawson joined Ernest Shackleton's 1907 Nimrod expedition, being among the first party to summit Mount Erebus and reach the South Magnetic Pole.

From 1911 to 1914, Mawson commanded the historic Australasian Antarctic Expedition. While exploring George V Land, his two companions, Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz, perished. Mawson survived a miraculous solo 30-day journey dragging half a sledge through blizzards, surviving on dog meat. For 31 years, he served as Professor of Geology at the University of Adelaide, claiming extensive Antarctic territory for Australia.