Aurora Expeditions has officially christened its newest purpose-built vessel, the Douglas Mawson, in Sydney today, marking what the company describes as one of the most significant milestones in its 35-year history.
The maritime tradition of christening was carried out in Aurora’s signature polar style: by breaking ice against the bow instead of champagne.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Mawson family, including Emma McEwan, great-granddaughter of the ship’s namesake Sir Douglas Mawson and godmother of the new ship.
“It’s a great honour to be asked to be godmother to the ship,” McEwan said. “Aurora Expeditions is named after his ship, Aurora, that he took to the Antarctic in 1911… I really like to think of this ship travelling around the oceans of the world, bearing his name and expanding his legacy.”
The ship – the company’s third custom-built expedition vessel – arrived in Sydney earlier this week, a moment Aurora Expeditions CEO Michael Heath described as “a historic day for Aurora Expeditions.”
“Douglas Mawson was one of Australia’s most famous explorers, scientists and conservationists, and it was his ship that actually inspired the name of our company,” Heath said. “Next year we’ll be celebrating our 35th anniversary… and none of this would have been possible without the vision of our founders, Greg and Margaret.”
Also speaking at the event, company Co-Founder Greg Mortimer reflected on the ship’s arrival as a “closing of the circle.”
“This morning at six o’clock, we brought Aurora Expeditions home after 35 years,” he said. “Our first office was 200 metres away at 37 George Street. All that time, Aurora has been roaming the seas, finally coming home as a fully fledged adult.”
Mortimer shared details of the ship’s construction – a process he said involved “18 months, two years, millions of person-hours, tens of thousands of decisions, tens of kilometres of wiring, probably millions of welds.”
But, he added that today marks the moment the vessel truly comes to life. “Today we transform it and start to nurture its soul, sharing experiences, good stuff, rough seas – all of that, which make for the legend of vessels.”
Meanwhile, Aurora Expeditions’ Sustainability Manager Sasha Buch outlined the ship’s environmental innovations, describing the vessel as both forward-thinking and purpose-built for the remote regions it will visit.
“We travel to some of the most wild and remote places on the planet,” she said. “It’s an honour and a privilege, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility.”
She highlighted some of the innovations aboard the Douglas Mawson including live weather sensors providing real-time Southern Ocean data “to create the most fuel-efficient routes”, as well as microplastic filtration systems on all washing machines to prevent fibre pollution in pristine environments.
In addition, there is a dedicated Citizen Science Centre, supporting scientific data collection in rarely studied areas. “We’re really proud to contribute important research information and also to host scientists on board,” Buch added.
The ship departs Sydney later today for Tasmania before continuing south into the polar regions.
