Clearing the dust

Antarctic Heritage Trust Conservator John Taylor shares how the on-Ice team “spring-cleans” Scott’s Terra Nova hut

The western annex and stables of Scott’s Terra Nova hut really sets it apart from the other heroic era huts. The annex contains skis, tent frames, a large cache of blubber and an array of tools – shovels, pick heads, chains, ice chippers.

The stables, originally housing seven Indian Army mules now contains a selection of artefacts including a husky skeleton, hockey sticks, Griffith Taylor’s bicycle, a home built wooden wheelbarrow, and a cache of emperor penguins.

Ponies in the stables, Oates on the right. 25 May 1911. © Herbert Ponting, Canterbury Museum

Both the annex and stable floors are made of a layer of volcanic gravel (scoria) typically found along this coastal site. Foot traffic over years of visitation has ground the scoria, creating dust and fines. Merely walking through this area now generates airborne dust that gets deposited onto artefacts and surrounding surfaces.

How could the Trust’s conservation team eliminate or reduce the dust without introducing new salt laden scoria? Program Manager Al Fastier had the answer – a trommel, or rotary screen to sift the fines out from the existing scoria.

We set up protective screens around the artefacts and got to work removing wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of dust laden scoria. This was passed through the trommel to remove all dust and fines, before being returned to the hut. The result, clean pea sized scoria, and not a hint of dust to be seen.

The artefacts looked great after a vacuum by the conservators and should gather less dust from now on.