In 2011-2012 Hobart, Tasmania, will celebrate a remarkable ‘Antarctic Centennial Year’ (ACY).

Historically, the port was the departure point for some noteworthy Antarctic expeditions: the Mawson-led AAE in 1911, and in 1912, Norwegian Roald Amundsen walked in to Hobart’s General Post Office to send a telegram to the King of Norway, announcing that he had won the ‘race to the pole’, defeating the ill-fated Robert Falcon Scott to become the first human being to reach 90° South. Both centenaries will be celebrated during the ACY, and a number of other cultural events are planned. Hobart will host the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) conference in May 2011, and the 35th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2012.

For further information, visit the Antarctic Centennial Year website.