History of Port Lockroy (Station A)

Location

Position: Lat. 64° 49′ S, Long. 63° 30′ W
General location: Goudier Island, Wiencke Island, Palmer Archipelago

Purpose

Initially survey, geology, meteorology and botany. Mainly ionospheric research from 1950 onwards.

The ionospheric work was transferred to Argentine Islands (Station F) when Station A closed.

Occupied

  • 11 Feb 1944 – 8 Apr 1947
  • 23 Jan 1948 – 14 Feb 1949
  • 24 Jan 1950 – 11 Feb 1951
  • 15 Dec 1951 – 16 Jan 1962
  • Austral summers since Jan 1996

Buildings

The main hut was named Bransfield House after the ship initially chartered to transport members of Operation Tabarin from the UK, and itself named after Edward Bransfield, Master, Royal Navy, the first person to chart an area of the Antarctic mainland (1819–1820).

Current status

Designated as Historic Site No 61 under the Antarctic Treaty, 19 May 1995. Restored 14 Jan 1996 – 18 Mar 1996. Since Nov 1996 the station has been manned as an Historic Site on behalf of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) for the benefit of tourists and visitors during austral summer seasons. It has been operated directly by UKAHT since Jul 2006 under a Memorandum of Understanding with BAS. Inspected for BAS by a conservation architect in Jan 2007.

For the full listing of all station histories, see History of British stations and refuges.

Base A, Port Lockroy, Wiencke Island, established on 11 Feb 1944. Occupied by nine men, winter 1944, and by four men, winter 1945. The main base was to have been at Hope Bay on the mainland but the second support vessel, SS Fitzroy, was not ice-strengthened and could not risk the sea ice in the bay. (Photographer: Ivan Mackenzie Lamb; Archives ref: AD6/19/1/A119)
Base A, Port Lockroy, Wiencke Island, established on 11 Feb 1944. Occupied by nine men, winter 1944, and by four men, winter 1945. The main base was to have been at Hope Bay on the mainland but the second support vessel, SS Fitzroy, was not ice-strengthened and could not risk the sea ice in the bay. (Photographer: Ivan Mackenzie Lamb; Archives ref: AD6/19/1/A119).

More on Operation Tabarin.