George Harris Sarjeant Dovers
(1887 - 1971) - Biographical
Notes
Cartographer - Aurora 1911-1913
Single, of Sydney, New South Wales, was completing his term
for Licensed Surveyor in the service of the Commonwealth Government
when he joined the Expedition. He was in the Antarctic for two
summers and one winter, being stationed with the Western Party
(Queen Mary Land). A member of several sledging parties, he
acted as Cartographer to the party which reached Gaussberg.
From Appendix 1, Mawson - Heart of the Antarctic
-
"everything is just ripping, we are landing
in a place that will make the whole civilized world wonder
- when I think of the all the fellows slaving
in offices in cities when there is all this beautiful God's
world to explore & all its wonders to see, I pity them,
this is living not merely existing, I cannot do justice
to my subject on paper, it is too wonderful."
George Dovers, letter to Peg and family dated 16 February 1912
"...his (George Dovers) son and my father Robert George Dovers also went to the Antarctic - expeditions to Heard and Macquarie Islands in 1947 and 1949; he was the sole Australian member of the 1952 French expedition when Port Martin base burned down and he and 6 French men volunteered to stay in temporary huts for the year when the base expedition was abandoned; and was the leader of the party that established Mawson Base in 1954 - a nice twist."
Received from Janet Dovers, granddaughter of George Dovers
Records held by the State Library of New South Wales
Landmarks named after George Harris Sarjeant Dovers
Feature Name:
Cape Dovers
Feature Type: cape
Latitude:
6629S
Longitude: 09708E
Description: Cape fronting on Shackleton
Ice Shelf, 5 mi S of Henderson Island. Discovered by the Western
Base Party of the AAE, 1911-14, under Mawson.
Biographical information
- I am concentrating on the Polar experiences of the men involved.
Any further information or pictures visitors may have will be gratefully received.
Please email
- Paul Ward, webmaster.
What are the chances that my ancestor was an unsung part of the Heroic Age
of Antarctic Exploration?