Latest

Discovery of Antarctic explorer’s ship spikes interest in collection at South Australian Museum

The shipwreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton has been discovered weeks after the South Australian Museum wraps up viewing of a VR experience about his voyage

A world premiere virtual reality experience has given South Australian audiences the opportunity to take a walk in a legendary explorer’s shoes.

Late last year, the South Australian Museum (SAM) showcased the Thin Ice VR. It gave attendees a first view look into the explorations of explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The Thin Ice VR offered an immersive experience of what it was like to cross Antarctica, on foot, from one end to the other.

Fuelling the hype for the event, the wreckage of Sir Shackleton’s ship, Endurance 22 was also recently discovered at the bottom of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea.

Stunningly enough, the discovery of the ship was located nearly 10,000 feet deep and was found in pristine condition 106 years later.

The untimely discovery came just weeks after the VR experience wrapped up its season at the South Australian Museum.

With interest sky high right now in polar exploration due to the Endurance 22 discovery and the release of the VR film, there is still much to see and do at the museum.

The Thin Ice VR experience was showcased in Adelaide as a part of the Adelaide Film Festival.

The simulated project was a massive hit across the state drawing in people from across our fine land until it wrapped up earlier this year.

The world premiere also had a focus on Adelaide-adopted explorer Sir Douglas Mawson.

Many may be familiar with Sir Mawson’s work and the event showcased more than 100,000 items from his personal collection, including artefacts, maps and photographs obtained from his exhibitions.

The Australian Polar Collection gallery has become one of the most popular galleries within SAM and tells the story of Australian voyagers and their treks to the bottom of the world.

The Australian Polar Collection is truly unique and unlike any other exhibition in Australia. Connections between Australia’s polar exploration and Shackleton’s Endurance voyage run deep, and if you were unlucky enough to miss out on the VR experience, you can at least still immerse yourself in Antarctic knowledge right here in Adelaide.

The Australian Polar Collection Gallery is on show at The South Australian Museum (SAM)

Located at North Terrace, Adelaide 5000

Opening times are Monday – Sunday 10am – 5pm

For more information, check them out here

More News

To Top