Aurora (ship)
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- This article is about the 19th century whaling ship, Aurora, for other ships with the same name see Aurora (Disambiguation)
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Built: | Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. Dundee, Scotland |
| Launched: | 1876 |
| Fate: | Declared lost by Lloyd's of London, 2 January 1918 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 380 tons |
| Length: | 165 ft (50.3 m) |
| Beam: | 30.5 ft (9.3 m) |
| Draught: | 18.75 ft (5.7 m) |
| Type: | Barquentine 1 funnel, 3 masts |
| Hull: | Wood |
| Propulsion: | Compound Steam Engine Cunliffe and Dunlop of Glasgow 98 bhp |
| Speed: | — |
| Range: | Limited by water and provisions |
| Complement: | — |
The steam yacht Aurora (SY Aurora) was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. shipbuilders in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876, for the Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing Company. Her primary use was whaling in the northern seas, and was built sturdy enough to withstand the heavy weather and ice that would be encountered there. That strength meant that over her lifetime, she would be used for many different purposes across the globe.
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[edit] Whaling
Between the years 1876 and 1910, the Aurora made the annual trip from Dundee, Scotland to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to take part in the whale and seal hunt in the arctic waters. There were a couple of notable events in this time. In 1884, the Aurora made a failed attempt to rescue the Greely Expedition to claim the reward money, and in 1891, the ship came to the rescue of the crew of the Polynia when it was crushed in sea ice.
[edit] Douglas Mawson Expedition
In 1910, she was bought by Douglas Mawson for his Australasian Antarctic Expedition. The "Aurora" made the journey from Hobart, Australia to Macquarie Island, Mawson's base of operations, in December of 1911. After establishing the base, they sailed south again, and arrived in Commonwealth Bay Antarctica, on January 7, 1912. At Cape Denison, she unloaded Mawson and his team, and helped set up the camp (Mawson's Huts), but then departed to return to Hobart so as not to get trapped in the sea-ice over the winter.
In December of 1912, the Aurora returned to find that Douglas Mawson, Xavier Mertz, and Belgrave Ninnis had set out on a sled expedition, and were overdue to return. The captain attempted to wait for the expedition to return, but poor anchorage, and extremely strong winds, combined caused the anchor chain to break. At the end of January, the ship had to leave, or risk getting stuck for the winter. Aurora left a team of six behind with ample supplies, and departed. Mawson, the sole survivor of the three, arrived in time to see the Aurora disappearing over the horizon.
Aurora returned to Commonwealth Bay on December 12, 1913, to pick up the seven men, and return to Australia.
[edit] Trans Antarctic Expedition
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton tasked the Aurora to help set up supply depots along the route for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. After being delayed by sea ice in McMurdo Sound in January of 1915, the Aurora managed to make her way further south, and sent teams off to set up the depots. Eventually she made her way to Discovery Bay on March 12, 1915, where she anchored and continued to offload supplies. In May, the Aurora was trapped in the ice, and was carried out to the sea, stranding the men that were setting up the depots. It wasn't until February 12, 1916 that the ship escaped from the ice, making it back to Dunedin, New Zealand on April 3.
[edit] 1917 Ross Sea Party rescue
After his legendary ordeal on the Endurance in the Weddell Sea sector, Ernest Shackleton arrived in New Zealand during December 1916. He was advised that his supply team the Ross Sea Party was stranded in Antarctica. By that time the Aurora had been repaired and after discussion with the Aurora's captain, Shackleton immediately sailed to Ross Island to bring his men home. On January 10, 1917, the ship pulled alongside the pack ice near Cape Royds and worked its way to Cape Evans. One week later, Shackleton and the seven survivors of the original ten members of the Ross Sea Party were headed back to Wellington, New Zealand.
[edit] Fate
The Aurora was last seen in 1917, when she departed Newcastle, New South Wales, bound for Iquique, Chile. She was carrying a load of coal. Lloyd's of London posted the ship as missing on 2 January 1918, and it was believed she was a casualty of the First World War.
[edit] Captains
This is a partial list of Captains of the Aurora:
- J. Fairweather (c.1882-c.1886)
- Jackman (c.1895)
- John King Davis (1911-1914, 1916-Loss)
- Lieutenant Æneas Mackintosh R.N.R. (1914-1916)
