TAE/IGY hut - Artefacts

Almost 600 artefacts are housed in Hillary’s Hut. Some were from the TAE/IGY era and others were part of the legacy of New Zealand’s formative Antarctic programme. They include radios, food, clothing and documents. On the team were three conservators specialising in the care of paper, timber, fabric and metal.

All the moveable objects were removed before the building’s asbestos linings could be taken out. Every item was individually catalogued and photographed, and where necessary was given conservation treatment by the Trust’s team of conservators.

Compared with objects previously conserved by the Trust from the ‘heroic era’ of Scott and Shackleton, the Hillary’s Hut objects were in good condition. But their modern materials, such as plastics and paint, did pose some treatment challenges around stabilisation and choice of adhesives used in treatments.

A number of descendants of the original TAE/IGY team have donated objects from the expeditions, bringing new character, detail and depth to the collection, including a copy of the hut’s plans signed by all the expedition members and presented to Ron Mitchell, one of the architectural draughtsman from the Ministry of Works who with Randall Heke led the Scott Base construction team on ice.