In Memorium – Peter Macdonald
Huskies were an important part of life at Scott Base. Here Spot tried to lick Peter Macdonald’s face. © Peter Macdonald Collection, Antarctic Heritage Trust
End of an Era
The Trust offers our deepest condolences to the family, friends and community following the news of Peter Macdonald’s passing.
We recognise the end of an era, as Peter was the last surviving member of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition/International Geophysical Year (TAE/ IGY) winter over party (1956-57) that established New Zealand’s Scott Base on Ross Island, Antarctica. Peter was born in 1926 and educated at Wellington Boys’ College and Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.
Ahead of his time in the Antarctic, Peter was appointed to the Geophysics Division of DSIR in 1946. In 1951 he spent eight months in Australia working for the Bureau of Mineral Resources. Three years later in 1954, Peter trained as a teacher, but re-joined the DSIR on selection for IGY, where he was appointed Technical Officer. Peter spent the rest of his career, until retirement in 1989, in the Geophysics Division. Following the IGY expedition, Peter published widely on IGY investigations including the movement of the Ross Ice Shelf, and especially on his later work in defining the extent of geothermal fields.
The Trust celebrates Peter Macdonald’s legacy and is proud to feature a digital version of the TAE/IGY party Midwinter’s Day menu gifted by Peter Macdonald in its Hillary’s Hut – Antarctica Virtual Reality Experience. The physical menu is now back in Hillary’s Hut in Antarctica on display.
