Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast The Antarctic - an extension of Australia?
May 15, 2025
Rohan Howitt, an environmental historian from Monash University and author of ‘The Southern Frontier,’ delves into Australia's historical claims on Antarctica. He discusses how early explorations, like those by Cook, fueled aspirations for an empire in the Southern Ocean. The conversation tackles the economic foundations of colonial Australia through whaling and sealing, and highlights the environmental concerns behind strict mining regulations. Howitt also examines the geopolitical landscape and Australia's ambitions in this frozen frontier.
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Economic Roots in Southern Ocean
- Australia's economic development was closely tied to the Southern Ocean through sealing and whaling industries in the early colonial period.
- Early ventures in sealing led to discovering new islands, which fueled more exploration southwards.
Proximity Defines Antarctic Claim
- Australia's claim to Antarctic territory stems not from being empty but from proximity to the continent.
- The Australian identity extends legally and emotionally beyond the continent into the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
French Claims Sparked Australian Anxiety
- Australia experienced anxiety when France claimed Southern Ocean islands, previously assumed to be Australia's.
- Maps of the 1880s showed these islands colored British pink without official claims, revealing contested imperial ambitions.