It is just over a century since Frank Worsley, Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean reached a whaling station on remote South Georgia following a daring 16 day voyage to alert the world to the loss of Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition‘s ship Endurance. Because of this journey the rest of the crew – stranded on Elephant Island – were all saved.
Worsley was born in Akaroa in 1872 and the New Zealand Antarctic Society has republished an epic poem about him ‘Worsley Enchanted‘ written by New Zealand-born poet Douglas Stewart and illustrated by Myra Walton. The poem takes readers through his experiences on the Endurance Expedition – which has become legendary – and reflects on his relationship with the rest of the crew.
Find out more
- Resources about Frank Worsley in our collection.
- A DigitalNZ set of images and articles about Frank Worsley.
- Our page on Antarctica
- Christchurch’s relationship with Antarctica
- University of Canterbury’s Antarctic programmes
- Akaroa
- The Antarctic Heritage Trust, who are preserving the historic huts around Ross Island which were used by early Antarctic explorers.
Rather a handsome hero, too.🙂