Story: Antarctica and New Zealand

Byrd returns, 1935

When US navy commander Richard E. Byrd's second expedition arrived at Dunedin in 1935, after more than a year in the Antarctic, this souvenir page of photographs was published in the Auckland Weekly News. The expedition included some New Zealanders, including Louis Potaka (the fifth Māori doctor to graduate) and Eric Griffiths, a mechanic and pilot. Medical assistance was seldom required during the year in Antarctica, and Potaka had a pleasant if uneventful time. Griffiths was employed to maintain the expedition's plane. On finding that he and other New Zealanders were expected to care for the dogs and did not enjoy the same conditions as the Americans on the expedition (for example, sufficient warm clothing was not available), Griffiths led a deputation to Byrd, who put him in the brig and sent him back to New Zealand early.

Using this item

Auckland City Libraries - Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, Sir George Grey Special Collections
Reference: AWNS-19350227-42-1

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Nigel Roberts, 'Antarctica and New Zealand - The Ross Dependency', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/37134/byrd-returns-1935 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nigel Roberts, published 20 Jun 2012