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Rare images from early Antarctic expeditions digitised and made available for first time

The newly released images show the harsh conditions on the icy continent. (Supplied: NAA)

A rare collection of images from early Australian and British expeditions to Antarctica has been digitised and released to the public for the first time.

The collection, transferred from the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to the National Archives of Australia (NAA), includes hundreds of photographs, glass plate negatives, and lantern slides from expeditions in the early 1900s to the icy continent.

The director-general of National Archives of Australia, Simon Froude, said the images "provide a unique glimpse of the difficult conditions the explorers faced", and include original photos taken by renowned photographer Frank Hurley.

An image from the British Antarctic Expedition shows Terra Nova held up in pack ice between 1910 and 1913. (Supplied: NAA/Herbert George Ponting)
A man stands in a hole in the ice in Antarctica during the British Antarctic Expedition. (Supplied: NAA)
A moth seaplane is lowered into the water on the Ellsworth Rescue Expedition in 1936. (Supplied: NAA/Alfred Saunders)

The majority were taken on expeditions during the first part of the 20th century.

Some of the images date from as early as 1911, the same year Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen mounted the first successful expedition to the South Pole.

"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," he said.

"These photographs complement other national collections documenting Australia's exploration and research in Antarctica."

Artist George Marston reads a book on an early expedition. (Supplied: NAA)
This Frank Hurley image shows a royal penguin rookery on Macquarie Island. (Supplied: NAA/Frank Hurley)

National Archives assistant director-general Steven Fox said all images were now publicly available on RecordSearch for viewing.

"This collection is rare and fragile. Acquiring, conserving, digitising and preserving it means it will be accessible now and for future generations," he said.

"The public can digitally access a range of records from very early Antarctic exploration through to later expeditions."

A car on the ice during the British Antarctic Expedition. (Supplied: NAA)
Two seals lie on the ice in front of a cliff in this image taken on the British Antarctic Expedition. (Supplied: NAA/Bernard C Day)

The collection was being held by the AAD in Hobart and was transferred to the NAA, which has archived more than 40 million items from 1901 to now.

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