Borchgrevink’s Crew

Meet the members of the British Antarctic Southern Cross Expedition 1898–1900

Carsten Borchgrevink

34, Commander

Born in Christiania, Norway, 1864. Educated at Gjertsen College and the Royal Forestry school, Tharandt, Saxony. He worked in Australia with government surveyors and in 1894 joined HJ Bull’s whaling expedition as an ‘ordinary seaman’. Carsten led the first expedition to winter over on the Antarctic continent in 1899 and sledged over the Ross Ice Shelf. In 1930 he was awarded the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. Died in Oslo in 1934. Antarctic features named for him include the Borchgrevink Coast, Borchgrevink Glacier and Borchgrevink Glacier Tongue, Borchgrevinkisen a glacier in the Sor Rondane Mountains and Borchgrevink Nunatak.

Louis Bernacchi

Louis Charles Bernacchi

24, Astronomer and Physicist

Born in Brussels, Belgium, 1876. Louis moved to Tasmania when he was seven and was educated at Hutchins School Hobart, and the Melbourne Observatory 1895 where he qualified as an astronomer, meteorologist and magnetic expert. He served on the Discovery as physicist during Scott’s National Antarctic expedition 1901–04. He later went on various private expeditions and entered politics in 1910. He served during World War One and received the Unites States Navy Cross and OBE. Died in London in 1942. Cape Bernacchi and Bernacchi Bay on the Victoria Land Coast and Bernacchi Head on Franklin Island are named after him.

Nicolai Hanson

28, Zoologist

Born at Christiansund, Norway, 1870. Studied zoology at the University of Christiania. At the time of appointment he was collecting in north Norway for the British Museum and the Zoological Museum in Christiania. He was an experienced skier and wintered at Cape Adare in 1899 where he died on 14 October after being ill for about three months. Hanson Peak (1,255m) on the Adare Peninsula commemorates Nicolai Hanson.

William Colbeck

27, Magnetic Observer and Cartographer

Born at Kingston-upon-Hull, England, 1871. Educated at Hull Grammar School and did a short course in navigation before going to sea aged 14. He received his first-mate’s certificate in 1894 and passed for extra-master in 1897. Gazetted to sub-lieutenant RNR in 1898, William studied magnetism at Kew Observatory. He met Carsten Borchgrevink during a voyage to Norway and in 1901 was placed in command of the National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04) relief vessel Morgenen (Morning). He is recognised with Cape Colbeck, Colbeck Bay and Colbeck Archipelago.

Hugh Blackwall Evans 23, Assistant Zoologist

Hugh Blackwall Evans

23, Assistant Zoologist

Born Aylburton, England, 1874. Educated at King’s School, Gloucester, and an agricultural college in the North-West Territories of Canada. He went to Australia and joined a sailing brig on a sealing expedition to Kerguelen Island. He wintered at Cape Adare in 1898 and sledged with Bernacchi, Fougner and Johansen across the Ross Ice Shelf to latitude 74° 34’ S. He later farmed in Canada and retired in Vermilion, Alberta. Died in 1975. He had been the oldest living explorer from the heroic era and two years after he died was awarded the Polar Medal.

Anton Fougner

23, Assistant Zoologist

Born in Norway, 1870. Educated in Christiania (now Oslo). After getting his mate’s certificate he became an experienced sailor and snow-shoe runner. At the time of appointment he was an office clerk.

Herlof Klovstad

30, Medical Officer

Born in Norway, 1868. Educated at Christiania University and received MA and MD degrees. When he joined the expedition he was a resident doctor at a hospital for the mentally ill near Bergen. He died soon after the return of the expedition and has Cape Klovstad in Robertson Bay named after him.

The expedition members pictured just before spending the first winter on the Antarctic continent, 1899.

Kolbein Ellefsen

23, ASSISTANT

Kolbein passed his Civil Service Examination and was an experienced sailor. When he was appointed to the expedition he was working in an office in Tonsberg, Norway. He was also Cook on the expedition and a talented artist.

Ole Must

22, IN CHARGE OF DOGS

Born in Norway, 1877. An experienced snow-shoe runner from Lapland.

Persen Savio

22, IN CHARGE OF DOGS

From Lapland.

Ship Crew

Bernhard Jensen

MASTER

Born in Norway, 1853. Had 20 years’ experience in ice navigation, which put him in good stead to serve as Master on the Southern Cross.

Hans Ulis

CARPENTER

Jorgen Petersen

FIRST MATE

An experienced ice navigator who died in 1900 on voyage from Australia.

Johannes Christian Olsen

FIRST ENGINEER

Johannes had his first-class certificate and was an experienced engineer and boiler maker. At the time of appointment he was a professional engineer at Jensen and Dahl’s ship building yard at Friedrikstad, Norway.