ORKNEY ISLANDS: MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF ARGENTINEAN
SCIENCE IN ANTARCTICA
The first and only scientific station to be operating in Antarctica in an uninterrupted way for more than 100 years is the meteorological and magnetic observatory at Laurie island, South Orkney Islands, Argentinean sector in Antarctica.
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Founded by the National Scottish Antarctic Expedition led by Doctor William Speir Bruce in 1903, the laboratory was acquired by the Argentine Government when Dr Bruce was in return from his polar expedition.
On February the 22, 1904, the Argentinean Flag was hoisted for the first time and it keeps in this site until today.
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The most relevant contribution of this station is the continuous observations, which allowed to set up a more complete frame of measures for forecasting meteorological and magnetic variations over the whole south hemisphere.
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Over the years, new scientific research areas have been incorporated, due to works carried out by the Argentine Natural History Museum "Bernardino Rivadavia" during 20´s and 30´s decades, as well as works performed by the Instituto Antártico Argentino since its creation in 1951. The richness of the avifauna and the special situation of the islands in Scotia sea have allowed relevant contributions in biology and seismology.
In 1905, the first building, a primitive stone hut, was substituted by a wooden construction, called Moneta House, in honour of the Argentine José Moneta, author of the book "Four years in the South Orkneys", and who wintered at the observatory in the 20´s decade. This construction is still active and, owing to works carried out by specialists from the Navy Museum of Tigre, it became a museum that exhibits the original items of the Scottish hut (Omond House), as well as items recovered in the region during the long life period of the scientific station.
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In 1904, the first Antarctic post office started to run, whose responsible was the postmaster Hugo Acuña, member of the first Argentinean crew. This specialist, together with another member of the crew, the biologist Luciano Valette, charted the region. These charts, together with those built by the second lieutenant José María Sobral as member of the Swedish expedition 1901/1903, are considered the first Argentinean Antarctic charts.
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On March 30, 1927, the first Antarctic radioelectric station started to run, under the operation of the technician Baldoni, and the isolation was finished with a first communication with Ushuaia city.
At present, the meteorological and magnetic observatory shows modern and comfortable facilities and keeps on providing knowledge and experience to human learning.
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