H I S T O R Y

South Africa's connection with the southern-most continent actually dates back to early Cretaceous times, some 115 million years ago, when the land masses which today make up Africa and Antarctica formed the Gondwana supercontinent. Continental drift eventually resulted in Gondwanaland breaking up to form the pieces of the global jigsaw puzzle seen on today's maps. This has lead to the ironic situation that South Africa's current Antarctic base (SANAE IV) is perched atop a gigantic outcrop of Karoo Dolerite, almost 5 000 kilometres from home!

In the years prior to the First World War, South Africa was a staging post for some of the voyages made during the heroic era of Antarctic exploration, but our country's direct involvement began when meteorologist J J la Grange participated in the first successful Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955 - 58). Truly an Antarctic pioneer, Hannes la Grange went on to lead the first South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE), which established a permanent South African presence on the continent in 1960.

The SANAE 1 team took over "Norway Station" in Dronning Maudland (Queen Maud Land) after the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition had vacated it. A new base (SANAE I) was constructed in 1962, with SANAE II being completed in 1971 and SANAE III in 1979. This base was in use until the end of 1994, by which time the construction of SANAE IV had commenced. Unlike the first three bases which had been located on the Fimbulisen Ice Shelf, SANAE IV is located some 200 kilometres inland on the continent itself, and represents an entirely new design, standing above the surface on a nunatak, or rocky outcrop, known as Vesleskarvet. The base was commissioned in 1997, with SANAE 36 being the first team to overwinter there.

South Africa has the distinction of being one of the 12 original signatories to the Antarctic Treaty adopted in 1959, as well as being a founder member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). In accordance with the treaty, all military activities on the continent are prohibited, scientific investigation and co-operation are encouraged and territorial claims are placed on hold indefinitely. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has established Antarctica as a "natural reserve devoted to peace and science" and all activities on the continent are subject to strict environmental management.