From an unknown Antarctic expedition – an unidentified man and large icebergs.

British Antarctic Expedition – an unidentified man standing in a hole dug in the ice.

British Antarctic Expedition – George Marston, the artist, reading a book.

British Antarctic Expedition – Terra Nova held up in pack ice. Taken from a glass plate negative by Herbert George Ponting.

British Antarctic Expedition – Two seals near ice cliff . Glass plate negative by Bernard C. Day.

Australian Antarctic Expedition, royal penguin rookery at Nuggets Beach, Macquarie Island. Photo: Frank Hurley

By Duncan Murray in Sydney

A rare and fragile collection of images taken during some of the very first expeditions to Antarctica and preserved by the National Archives of Australia is now available online.

The voyages of explorers such as Douglas Mawson and Ernest Shackleton are depicted amongst the hundreds of photographs, glass-plate negatives and lantern slides, previously kept by the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart.

The collection was transferred to the National Archive for digitisation and safekeeping and is publicly available on RecordSearch.

As well as the harsh conditions and reality of life on the continent, the images show colonies of penguins, giant ice cliffs and other icy wonders from one of the great ages of exploration.

The majority were created by John King Davis who captained Mawson’s ship, the Aurora, during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition between 1911 and 1914.

Many images were also taken by renowned Australian photographer and adventurer Frank Hurley.

National Archives director-general Simon Froude said the photographs complement the institution’s existing collection of Australian exploration and research in Antarctica.

“There are fabulous photos of the unique wildlife, as well as photos depicting the science and technology of the time,” he said.

“Photographic portraits of Antarctic personalities such as Joseph Kinsey, Ernest Shackleton, Douglas Mawson and Frank Stillwell are included in the collection, as well as images highlighting the ingenuity of expedition members navigating life on the ice and aboard the ship.

“I’m delighted this collection will be preserved within the National Archives for future generations to access.”