N.Z. grab for Antarctic

Press, 14 February 1986, Page 17

N.Z. grab for Antarctic

Exploitation of toe Antarctic's mineral and wildlife resources, feared by Greenpeace and conservationists worldwide, was proposed in a big way by a New Zealand consortium nearly 60 years ago. An Auckland radiologist and businessman, Mr Leonard E. Andrews, had grandiose plans for a huge trading company with four whaling fleets, quarries, factories and mineral workings. He envisaged another Hudson Bay Company, financed largely from Britain, with bases at Wellington and Capetown. Mr Andrews even suggested that the labour problem could be solved by using Eskimos who would be used to “these cold and partly frozen places.” He took his idea to the then Prime Minister, Gorden Coates, asking for the Government to grant sole rights to operate in that part of the Antarctic conrifled by New Zealand, as well k

as southern islands. The Auckland man, who no doubt dreamed of the rich profits from the proposed venture, envisaged operating in what he described as the Ross Dependency Quadrant, and planned to also obtain rights from the British Home Officer to other territory.

Products seen as justifying the enterprise included whale, seal and sea-lion oil, bone dust, hides, fertiliser, precious metals, coal, granite and greenstone. According to a letter to the Prime Minister, written in 1927 and now in the National Archives, Mr Andrews estimated it would cost £2 million to launch his enterprise. Obviously British to the backbone, he added: “The capital seems large, but my friends assure me they will have no difficulty in arranging for this at Home.” v. The scheme for the

trading stations to be established on any of the islands in the South Atlantic and southern Indian Oceans, as well as the Enderby and Weddell quadrants, “wherever we can see benefits.” Mr Andrews stated he was in touch with his cousin, Dr Knud Rasmussen, “the polar explorer and authority on the Eskimo to try and arrange people to some of the islands, especially South Georgia, with Eskimos.” The proposal did not get off the ground because the New Zealand Government was unable to give a guarantee that the company would have sole rights to the huge area it sought to exploit

Mr Andrews quite openly sought sole rights to operate in any area “where we can see any industry could be carried on” in order to prevent foreign competition.

According to records, the notion that the Autarkic should be

preserved for all time as a sanctuary, secure from all exploitation, was not a consideration 60 years ago. The rationale was that it did not seem practicable to give a concession or rights to waters and land over ehich neither the New Zealand nor British Government had an accepted authority. Early in 1928, the then Minister of Marine, Mr G. J. Anderson, wrote to Mr Andrews saying the power of New Zealand to grant rights was open to question. He described the proposal as vague and said the Government did not feel justified in considering the proposal further until more concrete proposals were submitted. Happily, taking the ambitious scheme any further than a pipedream was quite beyond the resources of Mr Andrews and his friends. —Ken Copies