The Australian Antarctic Territory: Everything below 60°S, between 45°E and 160°E, 1957

Everything below 60°S, between 45°E and 160°E, 1957

Did you know Australia claims the largest territory in Antarctica? The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) covers nearly 5.9 million square kilometres, approximately 42% of Antarctica’s total landmass and nearly 80% of the size of Australia itself.

The AAT today is home to a network of research stations, including Mawson, Davis, and Casey, which serve as hubs for scientific research in the region. Established in 1954, Mawson was the first Australian station and is the longest continuously operating station on the continent.

The Davis and Wilkes stations were opened in 1957; the latter was originally an American temporary station that came under Australian control in 1959. It has since been abandoned and replaced by Casey in 1988. Wilkes is now almost permanently frozen, only occasionally visible every four or five years. The abandoned Wilkes Station actually inspired the setting to Western Australian author Matthew Reilly’s 1998 thriller novel, Ice Station.

While seven countries have made territorial claims in Antarctica, not all of them are acknowledged and some overlap, causing friction between claimants. Australia officially laid claim to the AAT after Britain transferred control in 1933. Some scholars have even suggested that the use of postal marks and stamps like the ones here were used to further those claims of sovereignty, as postmarks can only be issued by a sovereign state.

However, the issue remains contested. In the Antarctic Treaty of 1961, for example, each signing country retains its own stance on recognising (or not recognising) territorial claims made by other countries. So, while Australia's claim is recognised by the UK, New Zealand, France, and Norway, other nations dispute it. In the case of whaling practises in Australian Antarctic waters, the Japanese government’s refusal to acknowledge Australia’s claims, can prove particularly contentious.