Duke of York Island discovered by the British Southern Cross Expedition

Background. The Southern Cross Expedition was the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Led by Norwegian explorer Carsten Borchgrevink, it pioneered overwintering on the Antarctic mainland. The expedition sailed in the Southern Cross, a steam whaler purchased in 1897. Southern Cross left London on 23 August 1898, after inspection by the Duke of York, who later became King George V.

Expedition Context. Borchgrevink's party spent the southern winter of 1899 at Cape Adare, the northwest extremity of the Ross Sea coastline. The expedition aimed for scientific research and geographical discoveries. Borchgrevink hoped for spectacular journeys, unaware that Cape Adare would not allow access to the Antarctic hinterland. The Royal Geographical Society was preparing its own National Antarctic Expedition, and its president Sir Clements Markham regarded Borchgrevink as a foreign interloper and a rival for funding.

Island Description. Duke of York Island is a mountainous, ice-free island, 2.5 miles long, located in the southern part of Robertson Bay, Antarctica. It lies along the northern coast of Victoria Land, within the Pennell Coast, a portion of Antarctica between Cape Williams and Cape Adare. The island was first charted in 1899 by the British Antarctic Expedition.