Exhibitions

Exhibitions at the State Library of New South Wales – current, past and future – seek to engage audiences with the extraordinary range, breadth and depth of our collections.
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Nelson Meers Foundation

The Nelson Meers Foundation supports the State Library of New South Wales in presenting its outstanding collection of rare and historic items to the Australian public through the Heritage Collection series.

 
Jansson, Polus Antarcticus [1657], Z/ Cb 65/ 8

Finding Antarctica: Mapping the Last Continent

Open:
3 December 2011 – 19 February 2012
Venue:
Exhibition Galleries

It is one hundred years since Douglas Mawson led the 1911 to 1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), arriving on Macquarie Island on 11 December 1911.

In celebration of this centenary, this exhibition will focus on the mapping of Antarctica from the 15th to the 21st century, from crude woodcut maps of the known world through to the latest satellite imagery. The exhibition will tell the story of the gradual discovery, exploration and charting of this significant land mass.

The exhibition will showcase the magnificent collection of rare maps and charts held by the State Library, accompanied by rare published accounts and original sketches from Antarctica exploration by Cook, d'Urville, the United State Exploring Expeditions and the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

Image: Jansson, Polus Antarcticus [1657], Z/ Cb 65/ 8

View the Finding Antarctica: Mapping the Last Continent exhibition ›

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