Greenland Dogs and the Australian Antarctic Expedition
Huskies at work in the Australian Antarctic
In 1898, 90 sled dogs or 'Huskies' as they were colloquially known, were purchased for the Australian Antarctic Expedition. As none of the other sled dogs described in this section were recognised pure breeds at that time, Greenland Dogs were chosen. These would have been the fore-runners of the now recognised FCI breed No 274 we know today.
The Greenland Dog
The Greenland Dog from which the Australian Huskies descended is a large tireless sled dog measuring at least 60 cm (23.5 in) and above for males and at least 55 cm (21.6 in) for females. Their double coat has a soft, dense undercoat and a straight, coarse outer coat of dense, coarse straight hair of any colour, either solid or parti-coloured, except albino or merle.Their skull is broad and slightly arched, broad between the ears ending in a definite stop. The nose is large and dark, corresponding to the coat colour but may turn pink during winter. The muzzle is broad, the lips thin and tight housing very powerful strong teeth that close in a normal scissors bite. The eyes are preferably dark and slope slightly and have tight-fitting rims. The ears are rather small, with rounded tips ans are carried erect.
Greenland Dogs
The neck is very powerful and the body is strong and rather compact, but the dog is slightly longer than its height at withers. The topline is level or slight sloping but the back is straight. The chest is broad and deep and the ribs well sprung. The forelegs are perfectly straight with powerful muscles and heavy bone. The pasterns are strong and slope slightly, giving elasticity. the forefeet are rather big and powerful, with strong nails and pads. The underline has just a slight tuck up. The hindquarters are very strong, with moderate angulation. The hock joint is broad and strong, below which are rather big, powerful feet with strong nails and pads. At a trot, the gait should be efficient, harmonious, fluent and tireless essential for a sled dog [2].
The Australian Antarctic Expedition
Australia Post Stamp
As there were no dogs native to the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT), an the early expedition of 1898 introduced dog sledding. Although this was an Australian expedition, it was captained by a Norwegian, Carstens Borchgrevink. He chose Finnish dog handlers and 90 dogs that originated in Greenland. Without any sophisticated communication equipment at that time, it is not surprising that this expedition was ill-equipped to cope with the severity of the climate, especially when fierce blizzards hit. At these times, the sled dogs were housed within the men's tents where they slept with the humans to keep them both warm.
With temperatures decreasing with altitude, Antarctica experienced the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth. This record was set at the Russian Antarctic station at Vostok in July 1983 when the thermometer dropped to a staggering (minus) -89.6o C degrees. At this temperature, steel will shatter and water will explode into ice crystals. In Antarctica there is also unimaginably ferocious blizzards, with winds reaching 320 km/hour and lasting up to a week. This reduces visibility to just a few meters. No wonder Antarctica is known as the most inhospitable place on earth![1]
The Last Husky
Australia Post Stamp
Because dog sledding provided reliable transport in the early exploration of the AAT, in 1911 Douglas Mawson first took 90 selectively bred Huskies to Cape Denison. When motorised vehicles first replaced the dog teams, Huskies were retained at Mawson to provide safe travel on the frozen surface of the sea.
However, On the of April 4th,1994, the protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty came into force. This Treaty was to preserve the Antarctic as a wilderness. Consequently it banned all introduced species except man!
Sadly, this meant that the 'Huskies of the Antarctic' that, for 96 years, had been bred to pull dog sleds, were were replaced by petrol and diesel vehicles[3].
References and Further Reading
[1] Jonathan Chester 'Huskies Polar Sledge Dogs' Published by Margaret Hamilton Books NSW 2110 Australia Chapter 1. The Arctic and Antarctic Pages 5-7.
[2] Greenland Dog: FCI-Standard N° 274
[3] Australian Post Graphic Design Studio (FHA Design)