South Georgia: History

Pre-20th-Century History

London-born merchant Antoine de la Roche was probably the first to sight the island. In April 1675, while sailing from Lima to England, his ship was blown south as he rounded Cape Horn; he actually took shelter in a bay for two weeks. Captain James Cook made the first landing on January 17, 1775 at Possession Bay. He named it the Isle of Georgia after King George III and claimed the island in the name of his majesty. Although Cook's description of South Georgia was somewhat less than glowing ('savage and horrible'), his account made mention of fur seals, which set off a stampede of sealers.

British sealers began arriving in 1786. They were soon followed by American sealers and, within five years, there were more than 100 ships in the Southern Ocean taking fur-seal skins and elephant-seal oil. South Georgia's rock-filled waters proved treacherous for ships, and many were wrecked or sank near the island. As late as 1909, when the American ship Daisy made what was probably the last fur-sealing visit, only 170 fur seals could be found.

In 1882, the first scientists arrived in the form of the German International Polar Year Expedition, part of a twelve-country polar scientific blitz. They set up a station for 13 months at Royal Bay on the southeastern coast.

Modern History

Whaling began in 1904, when a Norwegian company established the first Antarctic whaling station at Grytviken. It took 183 whales in the first year. This modest start quickly grew into an enormous industry that marked the beginning of South Georgia's permanent occupation, with six shore stations eventually built. Grytviken remained open the longest - it had a caretaker until 1971. In all, more than 170,000 whales were caught in 62 years, including a 33.5m (100ft) blue whale - the largest animal ever recorded.

In 1908, the British established the Dependencies of the Falkland Islands, including South Georgia, the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands, the South Sandwich Islands and Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. Besides the whalers, Antarctic explorers were the only visitors to this remote outpost. In 1916, Ernest Shackleton and his party made a famous sea crossing to the island after their ship was caught in pack ice, then made a remarkable trek inland across the island to a whaling station. In 1985, the island was separated from the Falklands to become part of the British Dependent Territory of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI).

Recent History

Between 1982 and 2001, BAS (British Antarctic Survey) personnel operated on Bird Island and other field stations. In 2001, they returned to King Edward Point to once again manage administrative roles and carry out their scientific duties. The BAS station commander is also magistrate, and BAS personnel wear the hats of harbor master, customs and immigration officer, postmaster and fisheries liaison officer.

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