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8.9 Conservation of Mawson's Huts

The Mawson's Huts Historic Site contains the remains of the base established in 1912 at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica by Australian geologist and explorer, Douglas Mawson. Efforts to conserve the remaining buildings began in the 1970's but recently the Australian Government provided $1.3 million to undertake significant preservation work on the buildings.

Mawson's huts
Mawson's huts
Two of the original huts survive today on a small harbour indenting Commonwealth Bay's Cape Denison: the main hut (living quarters and workshop) and the magnetograph house. The remains are of national and international significance.

Information on the huts, the restoration efforts and the current conservation plan can be found on the AAD website , the Home of the Blizzard site and the Department of Heritage site.

Mawson's Main Hut (living quarters & workshop)
Mawson's Main Hut  following over-cladding of roof Dec 2006.
Photo: Simon Mossman
$1.3m has been allocated to the Mawson's Huts Foundation which was established in 1995 to undertake the preservation work on the buildings. Conservation work includes some structural stabilisation and monitoring of the huts themselves, and an archaeological programme of identification, documentation and, where required, conservation of the cultural heritage objects and artefacts in and around the huts.