Ross Dependency
(New Zealand Antarctic Territory)
 

Adopted 30 Jul 1923 Map of New Zealand Antarctic Claim Hear National Anthem "God Defend New Zealand" Hear National Anthem  "God Save the Queen" Constitution Act (1 Jan 1987) Capital: Scott Base (from 1957)(Wellington 1923-1957) Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)  National Holiday: 6 Feb (1840) Waitangi Day Population: Uninhabited Seasonal Research Staff Summer (Dec.-Feb.): 85 Winter (Jul): 11 (2024) Total Active Armed Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of New Zealand Merchant marine: None (2024) Number of Year-round Stations: 1 Summer-only Stations: 1 (2024) GDP: $N/A International Organizations/Treaties: UPU Ross Dependency (New Zealand Antarctic Territory) Chronology  9 Jan 1841                 Ross Ice Shelf and Victoria Land claimed for                               for U.K. by British Capt. James Clark Ross                               (b. 1800 - d. 1862) in HMS Erebus. 16 Aug 1923                 Antarctic seas which comprised all the islands and                               territories between 160°E and 150°W longitudes                               situated south of 60° S annexed by the U.K. to                               New Zealand and named as the Ross Dependency                               (by British Order in Council of 30 Jul 1923). 20 Jan 1957                 Scott Base base is established on Ross Island by                               Sir Edmund Hillary (b. 1919 - d. 2008), from 5                               Mar 1958 under New Zealand government (and is a                               permanent base from 1962). 31 Jan 1957                 Hallett Station, a joint New Zealand-United States                               operation, opens at Cape Adare.  4 Jan 1958                 Sir Edmund Hillary and his party become the first                               to reach the South Pole overland since Robert                               Falcon Scott in 1912.  5 Mar 1958                 The Ross Dependency Research Committee (RDRC) is                               formed to supervise New Zealand activity in the                               territory.  4 May 1959                 New Zealand Antarctic Division established.  1 Dec 1959                 New Zealand an original signatory of the Antarctic                               Treaty (effective 23 Jun 1961). Oct 1966                    Harrison Laboratory is established at Cape Bird,                               Ross Island (it is rebuilt nearby in 1991).  9 Jan 1969                 A new scientific station is opened at Lake Vanda,                               about 130 km west of Scott Base. 19 Feb 1973                 Hallett Station closes. 28 Nov 1979                 Air New Zealand flight TE901 crashes into Mt.                               Erebus (on Ross Island) killing all 257 aboard.  6 Dec 1994                 The Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act 1994                               is assented to, consolidating measures aimed at                               conserving the region's flora and fauna (which                               includes 18 species of penguin, 6 species of                               seal, and several rare species of whale)                               included in the Antarctic Treaty, and                               reinforcing the CCAMLR. Jan 1995                    Vanda station removed due to rising lake levels.  1 Jul 1996                 The Ross Dependency Research Committee disbanded,                               its activities incorporated in the New Zealand                               Antarctic Research Institute, it is later                               renamed Antarctica New Zealand.  1 Dec 2017                 Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic                               Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) establishes a                               Marine Protected Area in the Ross Sea region,                               covering some 1.55 million sq. km.

Governors of Ross Dependency
16 Aug 1923 -               the Governors-general of New Zealand

Superintendent of the New Zealand Antarctic Program (in Wellington, New Zealand)
May 1959 - 15 Apr 1965      Geoffrey Will Markham             (b. 1907 - d. 1997)
Directors of the New Zealand Antarctic Program (in Wellington, from 1970 Christchurch)
Apr 1965 - Dec 1988         Robert Baden Thompson             (b. 1927 - d. 2008)
Dec 1988 - Sep 1990         Hugh Francis Malcolm Logan        (b. 1953)
Sep 1990 - Jul 1992         David "Dave" Eric Geddes (acting) (b. 1945 - d. 2015)
12 Jul 1992 -  1 Jul 1996   Gillian Shirley Wratt (f)         (b. 1954)  
Chief Executive Officers of Antarctica New Zealand (in Christchurch, New Zealand)
 1 Jul 1996 - Jul 2002      Gillian Shirley Wratt (f)         (s.a.) 
Jul 2002 - Sep 2013         Lewis "Lou" Vernon Sanson         (b. 1957)
Sep 2013 -  3 Jan 2014      Peter Smith (1st time)(acting)
 4 Jan 2014 - Aug 2018      Peter Beggs                       (b. 1968?)
Sep 2018 - Jun 2019         Peter Smith (2nd time)(acting)
Jun 2019 - 15 Nov 2024      Sarah Williamson (f)              (b. 1965?)
15 Nov 2024 -               Jordy Hendrikx
                              (acting to 19 Feb 2025)

Administrators of Ross Dependency
15 Nov 1923 – 1926         George Samuel Hooper               (b. 1875 - d. 1931)
23 Oct 1926 – 1928         William Whiteford 
1928 – 1929                Edward Hillis Marshall             (b. 1885 - d. 1975)
14 Oct 1929 – 1952         William Wigmore Stuart             (b. 1891 - d. 1952)
27 Aug 1953 - 23 Jan 1957  Harold Ruegg                       (b. 1902 - d. 1990)
Officers of the Government of the Ross Dependency
(the Senior Officers in charge of Scott Base)
11 Jan 1957 - 1957         Sir Edmund P. Hillary              (b. 1919 - d. 2008)
                             (Leader New Zealand Ross Sea Party)
1957 - 1958                Trevor Hatherton                   (b. 1924 - d. 1992)
1958 - 1959                Linden Herbert Martin              (b. 1921 - d. 2003)
1959 - 1960                L. Rodney Hewitt                   (b. 1913 - d. 1964)
1960 - 1961                James Lennox-King                  (b. 1914 - d. 2002)
1961 - 1962                Vincent Edward Donnelly            (b. 1920 - d. 2000)
1962 - 1963                Colin Maxwell Clark (1st time)     (b. 1931 - d. 2002)
1963 - 1964                Ronald Arthur Tinker               (b. 1913 - d. 1982)
1964 - 1965                Russell Endean Rawle               (b. 1911 - d. 2005)
1965 - 1966                Adrian Hayter                      (b. 1914 - d. 1990)
1966 - 1967                Michael Maynard Prebble (1st time) (b. 1929 - d. 1998)
1967 - 1968                Colin Maxwell Clark (2nd time)     (s.a.)
1968 - 1969                William James Webb
1969 - 1970                Robin Foubister                    (b. 1933 - d. 2022)
1970 - 1971                Robert Bruce Willis                (b. 1929 - d. 2005)
1971 - 1972                Brian Porter
1972 - 1973                James Richard Milton Barker
1973 - 1974                Peter Gersham Frazer
1974 - 1975                Harold Everard Wilfred Jones
                             Roberts
1975 - 1976                James Arthur Newman
1976 - 1977                Hamish Durward Raynham             (b. 1939)
1977 - 1978                Kevin Arthur Tasker                (b. c.1927)
                           + James Sidney Rankin (1st time)   (b. c.1938)
1978 - 1979                Robert Samuel Straight             (b. c.1927)
                           + John Ridgeway Lythgoe            (b. c.1945)
1979 - 1980                John Raynor Presland               (b. c.1934)
1980 - 1981                Michael Maynard Prebble (2nd time) (s.a.)
                           + Charles Ashley Roper             (b. 1929 - d. 1994)
1981 - 1982                Robert Joseph Clark
                           + John Bamford Sims
1982 - 1983                Anthony Edward Newton              (b. c.1945)
                           + Leo Bernard Slattery (1st time)  (b. c.1953)
1983 - 1984                John Martin Thurston
                           + Graham Charles Woodhead          (b. c.1946)
1984 - 1985                Norman David Hardie                (b. 1924 - d. 2017)
                           + Eric John Saxby                  (b. c.1937)
1985 - 1986                Peter Lewis Cresswell (1st time)   (b. c.1940)
                             (to 3 Jan 1985)
                           + James W. Cowie (3 Jan - 13 Feb 1985)
                           + Leo Bernard Slattery (2nd time)  (s.a.)
                             (from 13 Feb 1985)
1986 - 1987                Peter Lewis Cresswell (2nd time)   (s.a.)
                           + James Sidney Rankin (2nd time)   (s.a.)
1987 - 1988                Stuart Grey
                           + Keith Martin
1988 - 1989                Graeme Ayres
                           + Malcolm MacFarlane (1st time)    (b. c.1956)
1989                       David "Dave" Eric Geddes           (s.a.)
1989 - 1990                Alister Pringle                    (b. c.1949)
1990 - 1991                Ross McDonald
1991                       Brett Fotheringham                 (b. c.1963)
1991 - 1992                Kerry Patterson
1992 - 1993                Roger Moffat
Oct 1993 - 15 Oct 1994     Grant Michael Avery                (b. c.1959)
1994 - 1995                Warren George Herrick              (b. 1957 - d. 2009)
1995 - 15 Oct 1996         Malcolm Macfarlane (2nd time)      (s.a.)
                           + Peter Brookman
1996 - 15 Oct 1997         Michael Patrick Mahon              (b. c.1956)
1997 - 16 Oct 1998         Steve Mark Franklin
1998 - 16 Oct 1999         Kevin Richard Rigarlsford (1st time)
1999 - 16 Oct 2000         Jonathan Gilbert Leitch
2000 - 15 Oct 2001         David Fredrick Leicester Brice     (b. c.1958)
2001 - 10 Oct 2002         Luke Thomas Jon Haddleton
2002 - 10 Oct 2003         Douglas Bell 
2003 - 10 Oct 2004         Daniel Ronald Mathers
2004 - 2005                Kevin Richard Rigarlsford (2nd time)
2005 - 2006                Vicki Elaine Addison (f)
2006 - 15 Oct 2007         Glenn Stephen Powell
Oct 2007 - 20 Oct 2008     Grant Andrew Hill
2008 - 2008                Erik Ronald Barnes
                           + Yvonne Boesterling (f)
                           + Iain James Miller
2008 - 10 Oct 2009         Nathan Thomas Cross
2009 - 28 Feb 2010         Julie Elizabeth Anne Patterson (f)
2010 - 10 Oct 2010         Thomas Edward Arnold
2010 - 2011                Edward Richard Townsend Butler
2011 - 10 Oct 2011         Troy Kevin Beaumont
2011 - 10 Oct 2012         Simon Peter Shelton
2012 - 10 Oct 2013         Rebecca "Becky" Goodsell (f)
                             (1st time)
2013 - 2014                Peter Gerard McCarthy
Dec 2014 - Feb 2015        Bruce Stevenson
Feb 2015 - 20 Oct 2015     Rebecca "Becky" Goodsell (f)
                             (2nd time)
Oct 2015 - Feb 2016        Alistair "Mac" McColl
Feb 2016 - Sep 2016        Andrew "Andy" Waters
Sep 2016 - 20 Oct 2017     Rose Forrester (f)
20 Oct 2017 - Feb 2018     Tessa Walsh (f) (1st time)
Feb 2018 - 12 Oct 2018     Jonathan "Jonny" Harrison (1st time)
Oct 2018 - 17 Dec 2018     Tessa Walsh (f) (2nd time)
20 Dec 2018 - 20 Feb 2019  Madeleine Bellcroft (f)
Feb 2019 - Oct 2019        Patrick "Paddy" Power
Oct 2019 - 2020            Jonathan "Jonny" Harrison (2nd time)
 6 Mar 2020 -  1 Nov 2020  Luke Keehan
2020                       Elizabeth Parlane (f)
 8 Dec 2020 -  1 Oct 2021  Bruce Stevenson
2021 - 2022                Nicola Burgess (f)
 1 Oct 2022 - 2022         Katherine Louise Mckenzie (f)
 1 Nov 2022 - 2023         Luke Tarplett (1st time)       
23 Jan 2023 - 2023         Gregory Wakatoto Kukurai
 1 Dec 2023 - 2024         Luke Tarplett (2nd time)
15 Jan 2024 - Oct 2024     Ruth Bunney (f)
Nov 2024 – Mar 2025        Luke Tarplett (3rd time)
Mar 2025 – Oct 2025        Jonathan Gilbert Leitch (1st time)
Oct 2025 – Mar 2026        Luke Tarplett (4th time)
Mar 2026 –                 Jonathan Gilbert Leitch (2nd time)

Territorial Disputes: New Zealand Antarctic claim is recognized by Australia, France, Norway and U.K., but it is not recognized by the United Nations, U.S., Russia or by most other countries.