Safety harness made by Charles Laseron and used during Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition.
Object No. 98/55/1-1
This harness was made and used by Charles Francis Laseron (1887-1959) during Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914. Laseron worked as taxidermist, biological collector, and general scientific assistant. This expedition, along with the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition 1929-1931, was one of the most important Australian scientific expeditions of the 20th century, laying the basis for Australia's later claim to almost 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent. The chief objective of the expedition was the exploration and charting of the largely unexplored coastline of Antarctica. This included meteorological and magnetic observations, and the collection of biological and geological samples. Sailing on the Newfoundland sealing vessel 'Aurora', the team entered a part of the world which was then little known. From January 1912 to February 1913 Laseron was based in Adelie Land, and took part in two major sledging journeys, making discoveries in geology and biology during the geological survey of the Antarctic coast. Laseron describes some of his experiences and hardships from this time in his book, 'South with Mawson'. The expedition was not without tragedy. During a sledding trip to the east of the base with Douglas Mawson, Xavier Mertz and Belgrade Ninnis, a crevasse swallowed up Ninnis, a team of six dogs, and the sled containing most of their food. The survivors began the arduous journey back to base, some 500 kilometres away, during which they ate the remaining dogs for food. Mertz died during the return, leaving Mawson to travel the 100 kilometres back to base alone. Charles Laseron is an important figure in the history of the Powerhouse Museum (formerly the Sydney Technological Museum), serving a highly distinguished career as collector and Officer in Charge, Applied Arts, for the Museum from 1906 until 1929. In 1911 Laseron was given leave from the Museum to join the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1914, directed by Australian geologist Sir Douglas Mawson (1882-1958)He was awarded a Polar Medal for his Australian Antarctic research. The harness used by Laseron reflects some of the equipment necessary to survive and work in the harsh conditions of Antarctica and, along with related items in the collection, give insight into a story of adventure, hardship, and tragedy in a time of heroic Antarctic exploration. In addition they form part of a collection that signifies Australia's immense contribution to exploration and scientific research of the Antarctic region. REF: Haywood, Elizabeth, 'Australian Antarctica: Celebrating fifty years of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions', Australia Post Philatelic Group, Melbourne, 1997 Laseron, Charles, 'South with Mawson', reminiscences of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1957 Mortimer, Gavin, 'Shackleton and the Antarctic Explorers: The men who battled to reach the South Pole', Carlton Books Ltd, Dubai, 1999 Wheeler, Barbara and Linda Young, 'Antarctica in museums: the Mawson collections in Australia', Polar Record 36 (198): 193-202, United Kingdom, 2000
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Summary
Object Statement
Harness, cotton / rope / wood, made and used by Charles Francis Laseron during Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Australia / Antarctica, 1911-1913
Physical Description
Harness, cotton / rope / wood, made and used by Charles Francis Laseron during Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Australia / Antarctica, 1911-1913 This harness consists of a wide, beige coloured, woven cotton waist band with a thickly woven cylindrical rope attached to its middle. Two, thinner, shoulder straps of the same material are attached to the outside of the waistband. The harness seems to have been hand made and hand stitched areas are visible around the top of the waistband. A chest strap has been hand sewn onto the shoulder strap which sits across the left side of the chest. This strap fastens to the other shoulder strap which sits on the right hand side of the chest, with a wooden toggle.
DIMENSIONS
Width
690 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
All items were once the property of Charles Laseron. There is no specific information which is relevant to object design.
HISTORY
Notes
This object was used by Charles Francis Laseron from 1911-1913 during Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Australia, 1911-1914. Charles Francis Laseron (1887-1959) was born in Wisconsin, USA, and arrived in Australia with his parents in January 1891. His father, David, was an Episcopalian clergyman, and in 1896 he took charge of a parish at Lithgow, NSW. Charles received his early schooling at Lithgow but was later educated at St Andrew's Cathedral Choir School, Sydney. Laseron trained in geology at Sydney Technical College and later lectured there, becoming. The Sydney Technological Museum engaged Laseron in 1906 as a collector of botanical and geological specimens. Laseron took leave from the Museum to take part in Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition, where he worked as taxidermist, biological collector, and general scientific assistant from 1911-1913. He was awarded the Polar medal for his work in the Antarctic and later published an account of his Antarctic experiences in 'South with Mawson' (1947). On his return to Australia, Laseron joined the Australian Imperial Forces, and was wounded at the Gallipoli landing. He subsequently returned to Sydney in 1916, where he resumed work at the Sydney Technological Museum. He rose to secure the position of Officer-in-Charge of the Applied Art collection. In this capacity he wrote papers and collected a range of ceramic and porcelain artefacts and was instrumental in establishing the New South Wales Applied Art Trust. Laseron was forced to resign in 1929 after a long-running dispute with curator Arthur Penfold, who in 1927 launched a departmental inquiry into his position. Laseron later became a dealer and auctioneer and during World War II returned to the AIF where he became an Instructor in Map Reading and Topography with the Commonwealth Military Forces. REFS: Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090677b.htm?hilite=laseron Davison, Graeme and Kimberley Webber (eds), 'Yesterday's Tomorrow: The Powerhouse Museum and its Precursors 1880-2005', Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 2005 Laseron, Charles, 'South with Mawson: reminiscences of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1957
SOURCE
Acquisition Date
23 April 1998
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