The first notable event of the 20th Century was the visit of Erich von Drygalski's German South Polar Expedition in the Gauss: it operated on Kerguelen between 1902 to 1903, losing several members to beriberi. An observatory was established at Baie de l'Observatoire.
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The ruins of an abandoned whaling station at Port Couvreux |
A Norwegian whaling company, A/S Kerguelen was granted a license for whaling operations in 1908, and what was said to be the best equipped whaling expedition ever to leave Norway left with two whale catchers. A whaling station was constructed at Port Jeanne d'Arc and operations commenced in October 1908. Whaling proved disappointing, (442 whales were taken between 1908 and 1911, 95% Humpback and producing 13,760 barrels of oil) but the terms of the licence allowed the hunting of Elephant Seals, which were to be found in abundance. Whaling was eventually abandoned in 1911, and over 17,000 barrels of seal oil were produced in 1911 and 1912. Ultimately, the venture was unsuccessful, and the operation was sold to Irvin and Johnson, who also concentrated on taking Elephant Seals.
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Port Jeanne d'Arc |
The Compagnie Générale des Îles Kerguelen was formed by the Boissière brothers in 1908: it operated between 1908-1914, 1920-1921 and 1923-1929. The company also attempted to farm sheep, but they soon sickened in the island's hostile climate.
Although scientific expeditions periodically called, the only interest France showed was when the brothers Raillier du Baty aboard the J. B. Charcot charted the coast of Kerguelen in 1908-9 and 1913-14. This led to the publication of the first full map of the islands in 1922.
Sir Douglas Mawson's British-Australian-New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) , in the RRS Discovery visited Kerguelen between 12-24th November 1929 and again between 8-20th February 1930.
Aubert de la Rue, in the Austral, performed geological surveys of Kerguelen in 1928. He returned in 1930-1931 and later published, in 1932 a definitive study of the island's geology.
A French expedition on the Antarès visited Kerguelen in 1931, performing hydrographical, astronomical and magnetic observations. A further French expedition aboard the Bougainville visited in 1939 to make a hydrographical survey and to collect biological specimens.
World War II
The fjord-like inlets of Kerguelen offered ideal hiding places for Axis Commerce Raiders, and the Allies worried that they could also be used as submarine bases. The German raiders Pinguin and Atlantis visited in 1941, and eventually HMAS Australia mined several anchorages. This deterred the Germans and Kerguelen remained untouched for the rest of the war. Several parts of the archipelago are still dangerous.
After the Second World War the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) regularly visited Kerguelen between 1947 and 1954, and France was obliged to occupy the island to retain sovereignty. In December 1949, a temporary station was established at Port-aux-Français by Pierre Sicaud, with the ships La Pérouse and Commandant Charcot.
Kerguelen was administered as a dependency of Madagascar, but was incorporated into the Terres Australes and Antarctiques Françaises in 1955.
Kerguelen has been continually occupied by scientists since 1949, with a population varying between 50 and 100. The French Base at Port aux Français is large and well appointed, boasting a hospital, restaurant, library, sports centre, cinema and chapel (Notre Dame des Vents). The base is shared with
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TAAF Stamp depicting the CNES Satellite Tracking Station |
CNES (The French National Space Centre) who operate a base dedicated to the tracking of satellites. For national security reasons, the base needed to be on French soil in the Southern Hemisphere, and Kerguelen is ideally placed to track Ariane rockets launched from Kourou in French Guiana and by the Japanese Space Programme from Tanegashima and by the Indians from Shriarikota. The station was constructed by Alcatel and is manned by personnel from CEGELEC
The bases are supplied from Reunion Island by the Marion Dufresne, which makes two or three trips a year to visit The Crozet Islands, Terre Adelie and Amsterdam/St Paul.
