First Governor General to Visit Antarctica - Quentin Bryce
Date of Record: Feb 2013
Quentin Bryce has become the first governor-general to visit Antarctica, doing so in honour of the centenary of Australia's Antarctic Expedition.
Ms Bryce unveiled a plaque and greeted adventurous participants of expeditions and members of the Australian Antarctic Division, including two Australian Antarctic Medal recipients, based at Wilkins Aerodrome.
Ms Bryce said she was excited to meet the staff at the remote outpost.
The visit came 100 years after Sir Douglas Mawson's treacherous journey to Commonwealth Bay in 1913.
Ms Bryce shared the following words of wisdom, "Two major aspects of the Antarctic that loom hugely in our minds are a wonderful period of heroic exploration and great international co-operation to preserve this," she said.
"As a little girl I grew up with the stories of those men - Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton - but mostly Mawson.
"Their courage and bravery, fortitude and determination were values that we grew up with and they were awesome and we admire them. It was an enormous pinnacle of human endeavour.
"But I also find great inspiration in the Antarctic Treaty, where Australia played such a key role. It stands as a beacon of international co-operation.
"It's the words peace and science that I'm thinking of here."
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