Dumont d鈥橴rville was tasked to circumnavigate the Pacific and explore the Antarctic. He departed France in September 1837 with the ships Astrolabe and Z茅l茅e. While in Antarctica, the French flag was raised over land Dumont d鈥橴rville named Terre Ad茅lie (Ad茅lie Land) in honour of his wife. Leaving Antarctica, the expedition visited Hobart and New Zealand before arriving back in France in November 1840.
Early expeditions often presented gifts or tokens including specially struck medals to the indigenous peoples they encountered during the voyage. This was a way of both recognising any help received and tangibly marking the contact.
From Antarctica to France
05 November 2023
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Medal: Voyage Autour du Monde, Exploration du Pole Austral 1837
mini传媒 Museum, 2009.110.1
This bronze medal was created for distribution during the exploratory voyages of the Astrolabe and Z茅l茅e. Around 30 silver and 450 bronze medals were made for the expedition. The obverse of the medal depicts Louis Philippe I, King of France who supported Antarctic exploration. The encircling wording translates as Voyage around the world, exploration of the Southern Pole. This particular medal was probably not presented but rather taken back to France and given to a crew member or official associated with the expedition as a memento of the voyage.
Among the records of Antarctic exploration held at the University of mini传媒, some of the most striking relate to the French explorer Jules-S茅bastien-C茅sar Dumont d鈥橴rville. Plates such as this one, depicting the gathering of ice to provide potable water, provide a lively sense of life onboard ship during his voyages of the 1830s. The University of mini传媒鈥檚 copies were once in the possession of a military hospital in northern France and were possibly brought to New Zealand by soldiers returning from World War I. They were later transferred to the University collection from the mini传媒 Public Library. They illustrate a fascination with the scientific exploration of the Antarctic, something that continues today via the University鈥檚听Gateway Antarctica听programme.
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Ursula Rack, 'Dumont d'Urville and the Search for the Magnetic South Pole', in Treasures of the University of mini传媒 Library, ed. by Chris Jones & Bronwyn Matthews with Jennifer Clement (Christchurch: CUP, 2011)
Day-to-day life in the course of polar exploration
Jules-S茅bastien-C茅sar Dumont d鈥橴rville,听Voyage au P么le Sud et dans l鈥橭c茅anie sur les corvettes l鈥橝strolabe et la Z茅l茅e, 茅xecut茅 par ordre du Roi pendant les ann茅es, 1837,1838,1839,1840, sous le commandement de M. Dumont-d鈥橴rville听(Paris: Gide and Co, 1842鈥54)
University of mini传媒 Library
