Ellsworth Relief Expedition-Track of R.R…

Scarce map showing the tracks of the relief expedition for the explorer Lincoln Ellsworth.

In late 1935, the research vessel Discovery II left Melbourne for Antarctica, to search for well-known American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth.  Ellsworth and his companion, the British born Hollick Kenyon, had lost radio contact after landing their plane in the ‘Little America’ area of the Antarctic.  The mission succeeded in rescuing Ellsworth and Kenyon unharmed. The Discovery II’s rescue effort was a joint project involving British, Australian and New Zealand crew and resources.  The ship stopped in Dunedin for provisions, leaving there for Antarctica on 2 January 1936.