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Building the Replica Museum

The Replica Museum is a boutique, world class museum providing visitors with the opportunity to learn and understand the history and achievements of the men of the 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson.

The museum promotes awareness of Australia’s involvement in the Antarctic and highlights Hobart as the gateway to the Antarctic continent for the Asia Pacific region.

Having defied over a century of the world’s most fierce winds at sea level, the original hut still stands today, clinging to the edge of the vast ice sheet of the polar plateau in Commonwealth Bay, East Antarctica. 

The huts are regarded as the birthplace of Australia’s Antarctic heritage and hold a unique place in Australian history. They are of national and international heritage significance, being one of only six remaining sites from the “heroic era” of Antarctic exploration (1898 to 1916), and are also the only surviving site from an Australian Antarctic expedition during that period.

Original Sponsors and Supporters of the Replica Museum building project.

Project Team

OWNERS
The Mawson’s Huts Foundation

FUNDING
Australian Government Department of Environment

ARCHITECTS
CIRCA (Robert Morris-Nunn & Martin Schmidt)
Building Surveyor
Lee Tyers
Construction Managers
J&B Tucker Builders & Peter McCabe Builder

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Harris Art (Peter Harris)

PROJECT MANAGER
Robert Morris-Nunn, Hobart
Design engineers
Gandy & Roberts – (Jim Gandy)

SITE OWNER
Hobart City Council

HERITAGE CARPENTERS
Peter McCabe
Jon Tucker
Alan Davis
Tony Spandler
Chris Gallagher
Matt Tucker
Dan Tucker

Original Sponsors

Chimu Expeditions
IQ Consult
Kordia Solutions
Skytraders

Supporters and Contractors

ACCOMMODATION
Grand Chancellor Hotel Hobart

ADMINISTRATION (OFFICE – CROWS NEST)
Chimu Adventures

ADVERTISING
Hobart Mercury

AURORA OBSERVATORY DISPLAY
Peter Morse

BROCHURE DESIGN AND COPYWRITING
Julie Hawkins and Chris Viney

COMMUNICATIONS
Telstra

CONSTRUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE
VOS Construction Ltd, Hobart

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Wendy Sharpe

DISABILITY ACCESS CONSULTANT
Michael Small

DOOR FURNITURE
DORMA
Manfred Franks
Access Technology

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Christopher Crack

ELECTRICIAN
A.O. Hansson

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
Aurora Energy

FOOTINGS CONSTRUCTION
The Precasters

GLASS SUPPLIER
Zane Wilson of Southern Glass

HUSKIES
Australian Antarctic Division

INTERPRETATION DESIGNERS
Red Arrow – (Tim Williams, Julie Hawkins, Chris Viney)

LIGHTING
Southern Lights and Distribution

MATERIALS SOURCING AND SUPPLY
Clennetts (Simon Cornelius & Will Clennett)
CRC Distributors
Southern Glass

MATERIALS PREFABRICATION SITE
Tasmanian Ports Authority (Tasports)

MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Ian Loney

MODULE TRANSPORTATION
Eliotts Crane Hire

MOBILE OFFICE HIRE
Coates Hire

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD RESEARCH
Michelle Berry

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD RESEARCH
Mitchell Library of the NSW State Library
Australian Antarctic Division
Mark Pharoah
South Australian Museum
Geoff Ashley
David Killick
Alasdair Macgregor

PLUMBING
Howrah Plumbing

PROJECT FILMING DOCUMENTATION
Chris and Sally Henderson
Matt Tucker

PUBLICATION MATERIAL
Australian Antarctic Division

TRANSPORTATION
AVIS
Pack and Send (North Ryde)
Sea Freight

RECEPTION FIT-OUT
John de Jong UCI
Marblo
Spicon Linear Matrix LED Illumination

REPLICA DIGITAL DISPLAY UNITS
AVISUM

REPLICA EQUIPMENT FABRICATION
(acetylene plant and wireless)
John Gillies

REPLICA INTERIOR
Cherie Wolley of Wolley’s Fabrics
Gretchen Jensen
Kate Ferro
Carmen Ayala

REPLICA CLOTHING & FURNISHING
Cherie Wolley’s Window Décor
Gretchen Jensen
Katie Ferro
Carmen Alaya
Country Women’s Association (Tasmania)

REPLICA LOGO (original 2013)
Peter Anderson

SECURITY
Gunnebo Australia, Chubb

SIGNAGE
Sean de Freitas of Saunders Signs

SITE ARCHAEOLOGIST
Parry Kostoglou

SITE EXCAVATION
Walter Construction, T.L Barnett & Tony Spandler

SITE SURVEYOR
Terry Cromer of Cromer & Associates

SLEDGE RESTORATION
Rod Ledingham

STEEL SUPPLY
Metaland

STEEL FABRICATION
Advanced Welding & Ben Tucker

VOLUNTEER GENERAL HAND
Barbara Tucker

VOLUNTEER HERITAGE CARPENTERS

Ted Bugg
Simon Cornelius
Julian Bampling

WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE SUPPLIER

ARDEX Australia
Waterproofing installationZaganite

WEBSITE (ORIGINAL SITE IN 2013)
Tom Synnott of WeAreUntitled

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVISOR
Josh Laws

SITE PREPARATION, TRANSPORT & ONSITE CONSTRUCTION

FINISHED EXTERIOR

Become involved and support our work

Help conserve Australia’s rich Antarctic heritage.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit charity seeking funds to promote and encourage public interest in the nation’s Antarctic history, including the conservation of Mawson’s Huts at Cape Denison, East Antarctica.

The Mawson’s Huts Foundation is a registered Deductible Gift Recipient with all monetary donations tax deductible.

Mawson, Mawson's Huts, Mawson's Huts Foundation, Cape Denison, East Antarctica, Antarctica, Australasian Antarctic Expedition, AAE, Australia's Antarctic Heritage, Antarctic History, Heroic Era of Antarctica, Conservation and Restoration,

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