COMMUNITY: Springthorpe Antarctic Exploration

In 1916, following the loss of his ship, Endurance, Ernest Shackleton reached Elephant Island with 28 of his crew. From there, he sailed with five of them in an open boat to south Georgia to seek help.

By The Newsroom

Published 18th Mar 2016, 18:00 BST

The account of his journey and the rescue of his men figures largely in the history of Antarctic exploration.

Elephant Island is an ice-covered mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica. Its name was given by early explorers sighting elephant seals on its shores. The island is situated 581 miles south of the Falkland Islands. Dave Burkitt was a member of the first party to explore elephant island since Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition.

On Wednesday, March 23, Dave will be visiting Springthorpe village hall to show photographs and talk about his work in the Antarctic.

The talk starts at 7.30pm and admission will be £4. For more information tel. 01427 838788.