Scott Of The Antarctic

Gallant British explorer or tragic hero? Captain Robert Falcon Scott was a trailblazer in Arctic exploration but sadly lost his life in the race to the South Pole

- Heidi Finnane

The final frontier may be space, but in the early 20th century it was the race to conquer the last of Earth’s uncharted territories, the North and South Poles, that drove our explorers. In what would become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic

Exploration, an era of scientific and geographic importance, Captain Robert Falcon Scott was a leading figure. Scott headed up two of the most important expeditions of the time, the latter of which resulted in his and his crew’s untimely deaths.

Born in Devonport, Plymouth, on 6 June 1868, Con, as Scott was affectionately known by his family, was one of six children. He continued in the family tradition and joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1881, becoming a lieutenant in 1897. It was around this time that Sir Clements Markham sought to finance an Antarctic expedition, led by Scott.

The British National Antarctic Expedition (1901-04), or Discovery Expedition, (so-called after the ship that carried them), was a resounding success, even though the team didn’t achieve its objective of reaching the South Pole.