The geologist and explorer Douglas Mawson led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition from 1911 to 1914. Comprising 31 men, including photographer Frank Hurley, it charted large segments of the east Antarctic coastline, and investigated sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and the Southern Ocean.

The party arrived at Commonwealth Bay in March 1912. Mawson lost two men – Belgrave Ninnis and Xavier Mertz – on an expedition to map part of the coastline, but survived an epic return journey alone to the main base. These photos taken on Mawson’s Antarctica expedition will shock you!

Check them out for more information and start to see our world through photos!

Ice-cased Adelie penguins after a blizzard at Cape Denison

Mawson had been part of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition between 1907 and 1909, which inspired him to mount his own journey from Australia.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

A group portrait from the expedition

Eighteen men established the main base at Cape Denison on Commonwealth Bay. Others set up smaller bases in the western Antarctic and on Macquarie Island.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Blizzard, the pup in Antarctica

Islands, rocks and reefs in Antarctica have been named after 26 of the husky dogs taken on Mawson’s expedition.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Wild and Watson in a sleeping bag tent on sledge journey

Frank Wild, like Mawson originally from Yorkshire, led the western base party. Geologist Andrew Watson was a student at the University of Sydney.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Unloading supplies at Cape Denison

The team found a rocky area about a mile long and no more than half a mile wide, where they could safely establish the main base.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Bage in the entrance to the Astronomic Observatory

Astronomer Edward Bage was among the researchers who did valuable work in the Antarctic. Information brought back by Mawson’s men made a major contribution to knowledge of the region.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Ice mask, C.T. Madigan

Cecil Madigan was a meteorologist whose work laid the foundation for Antarctic weather research.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

A Sclater penguin

Photographer Frank Hurley began his Antarctic career by persuading Mawson to employ him as official photographer on the expedition. His pictures from this trip and, even more famously, Shackleton’s ill-fated Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-16, made him the most renowned polar photographer ever.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Cavern carved by the sea in an ice wall near Commonwealth Bay

During Mawson’s expedition, Hurley took part in a record-breaking sledging journey to the South Magnetic Pole.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Arthur Sawyer and sea elephant pup

Sawyer, a New Zealander, took the key role of chief wireless operator on Macquarie Island, linking the Antarctic bases with Australia.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales

Weddell seal, Shackleton Ice Shelf

Seals were a key source of protein to sustain the men and dogs at the Cape Denison base.
Photograph: Morton Henry Moyes/State Library of New South Wales

Skeleton of sea-elephant and Hamilton

Harold Hamilton was taken on by Mawson to serve as biologist in the Macquarie Island party.
Photograph: James Francis (Frank) Hurley/State Library of New South Wales