Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project
The largest heritage project ever undertaken in the polar regions.
The Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project is a multi-year, multi-site heritage conservation programme in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. It is the world’s largest, cold-climate heritage conservation project.
Since 2006 we have engaged over 80 international heritage and conservation specialists in Antarctica, working in our custom-built facilities in the most challenging heritage conservation environment on Earth.
To date we have completed a major phase of conservation work on Ross Island, which has included the conservation of four historic bases and more than 20,000 artefacts:
- Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1908 base and its collection of more than 6000 artefacts
- Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s last expedition base at Cape Evans and its 11,500 artefacts
- Scott’s first expedition base at Hut Point and 500 artefacts
- Hillary’s Hut at Scott Base and its 600 artefacts
- The conservation of more than 1500 artefacts from Borchgrevink’s Hut at Cape Adare
The historic-base sites have a comprehensive monitoring and maintenance programme of work in place for at least 25 years.
The Trust is currently working to conserve the first buildings in Antarctica – Borchgrevink’s Huts at Cape Adare.
Conservation Plans for each of the Explorer Bases, developed as part of the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, can be purchased by emailing info@nzaht.org
