Heard Island and McDonald Islands – volcanic wilderness of the Southern Ocean
Heard Island and the McDonald Islands lie far out in the southern Indian Ocean and have never had a permanent population. Sailors may have glimpsed land in the area in the 1830s and 1840s, but the first confirmed sighting of Heard Island was made in 1853 by the American captain John Heard, who gave it his name. A year later the British captain William McDonald sighted the neighbouring islands that now bear his name.
In 1855 American sealers made the first recorded landing on Heard Island. For the following decades sealing gangs lived there for long periods under harsh conditions, hunting elephant seals and boiling their blubber into oil, until the colonies were largely depleted and the trade declined.
In the twentieth century the islands came under British control and were transferred to Australia in 1947. That same year Australian scientists established a research station at Atlas Cove, which operated for several years. Since then only occasional expeditions have visited the islands. Heard Island is dominated by the active volcano Big Ben, and volcanic activity has also reshaped the McDonald Islands. Because of their largely undisturbed ecosystems, the islands were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today the territory is shaped by strict nature protection, scientific research and its role as a refuge for seals, penguins and seabirds.
Do you have stories, photos or expedition memories from Heard Island or the McDonald Islands? Share them with other members in our Local History section!