Looking back at November 15, 1951
Wollongong man Robert Dovers is heading to Antarctica - for the third time.
The 29-year-old cartographer and surveyor is joining a French expedition to spend 12 months in Adelie Land, that country's slice of the icy continent.
In 1947 he went to Antarctica as a cartographer and again in 1949.
The trips see him following in the footsteps of his father George, who was a cartographer in 1911 during Douglas Mawson's expedition to Queen Mary Land.
According to the Mercury, Mr Dovers was "a quiet, unassuming man" who "did not want to recount the perils faced in an undertaking of this sort" - which might be a nice way of the reporter saying Mr Dovers didn't talk much during the interview.
Though he did admit to having a poor grasp of French, which might cause a few issues given he was travelling to Antarctica with a team of Frenchmen.
"I promise to give you a full story in a year's time when I return," Mr Dovers said.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
