For over a century, Australian researchers and explorers have mapped uncharted territory, documented new scientific discoveries, and established a presence in Antarctica that still plays an important scientific role in 2026.

With sincere thanks to the unprecedented support of over 1,000 donors to our 2025 Appeal, we have received nearly $500,000 to digitise the records of scientists and explorers like Phillip and Nel Law, Thomas Griffith Taylor and Isobel Bennett.  

These records are now making their way onto Trove. A selection of manuscript collections are available to explore now, with thousands more items on their way in the near future.

Thomas Griffith Taylor was an English-born geographer, explorer and academic who survived the Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica from 1910-1913. As the leader of the geological team, he was responsible for the first maps and geological interpretations of large parts of Antarctica. His collection, including letters, postcards, and teaching notes, is available on Trove now.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was an Anglo-Irish explorer who led three British expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century. He is regarded as one of the principal figures in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Within our Antarctica collections, the Library is proud to hold a letter from Sir Shackleton to Arthur Doncaster, wherein he requests funding for an attempt to cross the Antarctic continent in 1914. This expedition would later be known as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917. This letter is now available on Trove.

The photographs in Duncan Alexander Brown’s collection showcase everyday life during his time on expeditions to Macquarie Island (1956), Mawson Station (1958), and Davis Station (1961). With images of everything from penguins, to icebergs, to lichen, his photographs and diary are available on Trove now for researchers of all kinds to enjoy.

And there is even more material still to come, including the papers of Phillip and Nel Law. As Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) director from 1949 to 1966, Phillip Law AC oversaw expeditions that charted more than one million square kilometres of territory and over 5,000 kilometres of coastline. His photographs, diaries, field notes, and correspondence from Antarctica document the legacy of a towering figure in Australian science and exploration.

In 1961, Phillip Law’s wife, Nel Law, was secreted onto an Antarctica bound ship in Perth – she had previously travelled to Macquarie Island without official approval. A media enquiry led to an urgent conversation to gain Ministerial approval, Nel Law made the journey to Mawson Station with Phillip, and became the first Australian woman to set foot on the Antarctic continent in 1961.

A gifted artist, Nel captured Antarctica’s landscapes and wildlife in striking paintings and sketches. Her diaries, artwork, and correspondence with Phillip Law will soon be available on Trove.

The National Library's rich collections hold many untold stories from Australia's history in Antarctica. We continue to transform access to Australian culture and history by sharing our physical collections online through Trove. These collections join our oral histories from Australian Antarctic explorers, the incredible photographs of early Antarctic expeditions undertaken by Frank Hurley and Sir Douglas Mawson, all of which are available to explore on Trove. Your donations have allowed us to bring so much more of Australia’s history in Antarctica to this living online resource.