A Brief History of New Zealand's Involvement in Antarctica from 1923

Britain claimed the Ross Dependency on the 30th July 1923 and placed it into the care of New Zealand. The dependency was named for Sir James Clark Ross who led the first exhibition into the Ross Sea in January 1843. The dependency lies between 150 degrees west and 160 degrees east, and includes Ross Island, the site of New Zealand's permanent Antarctic base named after Robert Falcon Scott (1868 - 1912). New Zealand's Antarctic Station, Scott Base is situated on Pram Point near the end of Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island. It was built in 1957 as the Ross Island base for the British Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition (BCTAE). The New Zealand government took responsibility for the Ross Sea Party of the BCTAE led by Sir Edmund Hillary. Sir Vivian Fuchs led the British party which traversed from the Weddel Sea to the South Pole finishing at Scott Base. Scott Base was also used for science activities associated with the International Geophysical Year (IGY) between 1 July 1957 and 31 December 1958. Edmund Hillary was the first Scott Base commander and Trevor Hatherton the scientific leader. During the IGY, international scientists were invited to work at Antarctic bases run by other countries.

In 1958 America proposed a treaty which would continue the spirit of cooperation that characterised the IGY. The Antarctic Treaty was signed on 1 December 1959 by the twelve governments, (including New Zealand) that had an active interest in Antarctica. The treaty came fully into force on 23 June 1961 and was initially binding for thirty years, being renewed after 1991. In 1999 there were 27 consultative parties to the Antarctic Treaty. The consultative parties have been instrumental in establishing guidelines and protocols for protection of Antarctic flora, fauna, and historic sites, the conduct and operations of bases, scientific activities, and tourism. New Zealand has consistently maintained a position at the forefront of Antarctic Treaty initiatives.

In 1999, a landmark agreement was signed by all Treaty parties. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty designated Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science and committed parties to the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. Significantly, the Protocol provided a resolution, at least in the medium term, to the question of mining in Antarctica, providing for a 50 year ban on all mineral resource activity.