Also known as Marguerite Bay.
Location
Position: Lat. 68° 11′ S, Long. 67° 00′ W
General location: Stonington Island, Marguerite Bay
Purpose
Survey, geology, meteorology and biology.
Occupied
- 25 Feb 1946 – 12 Feb 1950
- 9 Mar 1958 – 7 Mar 1959
- 14 Aug 1960 – 23 Feb 1975
Established 250 yards from the US East Base. The station was closed in 1950 as sea ice conditions had prevented access to relieve the station in 1949. It was reopened in 1960 as the centre for field work in the south Antarctic Peninsula area when Horseshoe Island (Station Y) was closed. The original intention had been to build Station E on the east coast of Graham Land.
Buildings
The original building was known as Trepassey House after the ship MV Trepassey in which it was transported. The station was re-sited when a new main hut was erected on 4 Mar 1961. The new hut was the first two-storey building to be erected by FIDS. It was unnamed. Two single-storey extensions were added, one in 1965 and another begun on 27 Jan 1972. Buildings from East Base were also used as workshops and stores. These were known as Passion Flower Hotel, Jenny’s Roost and Finn Ronne. The derelict Trepassey House was burnt down in stages between Jan 1973 and Jan 1974.
Memorials
J F Noel and T J Allan, Jun 1966: graves on Flagstaff Hill.
Current status
Closed. Site cleaned up by BAS in 1991/92. Designated as Historic Site No. 64 under the Antarctic Treaty, 19 May 1995. Conservation work undertaken by BAS Jan 2003. Inspected for BAS by a conservation architect in Jan 2007. It has been managed by UKAHT since Oct 2014 under a Memorandum of Understanding with BAS.
For full listing of all station histories, see History of British stations and refuges.
