SGHT Newsletter July 2024

South Georgia holds a unique place in the annals of exploration. Figures like Shackleton, Crean and Worsley have become symbols of courage and resilience. The epic traverse they undertook to save the crew of Endurance has left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire and fascinate.

In this month’s newsletter, you can book to watch our CEO's lecture on the Stromness Manager's Villa later this month, find out how your next visit to South Georgia can help to support conservation work, and get the next instalment of our podcast from Commensalis artist Michael Visocchi.

SGHT's Knowledge Miles Lecture

Our CEO Alison Neil will be giving an online lecture about the next chapter of the Endurance story on Thursday 25 July as part of the Gresham Society’s Knowledge Miles series.

Alison will reflect on the iconic Manager’s Villa at Stromness Whaling Station and its role in the rescue of Shackleton’s Endurance crew. When the men of Endurance found themselves stranded on Elephant Island, their sole chance of survival was to try to reach South Georgia and its whaling stations.

Only through a perilous voyage across the Southern Ocean and epic 36-hour trek to Stromness Manager’s Villa were Sir Ernest Shackleton and a few comrades able to save the remaining crew on Elephant Island. It is one of the greatest stories of the heroic age of polar exploration.

Today, the Stromness Manager’s Villa still stands but is perilously close to collapse. SGHT is now raising funds to save the Villa for future generations, as testament to the leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the perseverance and determination of the men of Endurance.

Poseidon Joins Forces with SGHT

A new partnership between South Georgia Heritage Trust and Poseidon Expeditions will enable those on a trip of a lifetime to Antarctica to help fund vital wildlife and cultural conservation on South Georgia.

Until the end of 2024, Poseidon Expeditions will donate £100 to SGHT every time a new passenger books a cruise featuring South Georgia.

Picture by Piet Van Den Bemd

Luke Smith, our Director of Development said: “We’ve had unprecedented success in removing the invasive rodents that were decimating South Georgia’s native bird populations, but as a small charity we need as much support as possible for our work to continue and grow. Donations from Poseidon Expeditions will enable us to further protect and preserve the island’s special environment and wildlife for future generations through conservation work.

“This support will also contribute towards scientific research, help run the South Georgia Museum, and deliver major cultural projects on or related to the island, such as saving Shackleton’s heritage at Stromness and a major art installation which will act as a whale memorial at Grytviken. We are extremely grateful for Poseidon Expeditions’ generosity, and we are very much looking forward to working together for the benefit of South Georgia, and all its beauty.”

Poseidon Expeditions’ chief executive officer, Angelica Vorea, said: “Poseidon Expeditions has been committed to safe and environmentally responsible exploration of the polar regions since 1999. We are privileged to bring visitors from all over the world to encounter the wonders of South Georgia and the wider Antarctic region. We know how much our guests value the opportunities they have to experience such sights and we are delighted to have teamed up with SGHT in this way so that our company can contribute to their important mission.”

Picture by Piet Van Den Bemd

Accompany artist Michael Visocchi during his first journey to South Georgia and hear his insights on our podcast. The series follows how Michael was inspired to create a Whale Memorial - Commensalis: The Spirit Tables of South Georgia.

In this episode we join Michael as he explores the work store at Grytviken and finds the rivets that will be a key element of his Commensalis sculpture.

The Main Store with the Engineering Workshop to the left

The Whale Memorial will commemorate the loss and celebrate the recovery of whales at South Georgia. It will be a reminder for everyone who cares about nature of how close we were to losing South Georgia’s whales and will help to raise funds for vital research to protect the future of whales in the Southern Ocean.

South Georgia's First Incumbent: Pastor Kristen Løken

Photo courtesy of Akershusmuseet. The little Norwegian Church, planned and partly funded by Carl Anton Larsen, was prefabricated at Strommen in Norway and erected in Grytviken in time for Christmas Day 1913.

The founder of Grytviken Whaling Station Captain Carl Anton Larsen placed an advert in the Norwegian newspapers for a resident pastor to shepherd his workers. So, in April 1912, newly ordained Pastor Kristen Løken arrived to take up the new role as priest and lecturer. The 27-year-old was from Lillehammer in Norway and gave his inaugural sermon on Maundy Thursday.

During a congregational meeting, a church building was agreed and was constructed thanks to funds donated by the employees and Captain Larsen. The church was consecrated on Christmas Day 1913 when Pastor Løken also baptised the daughter of the station manager.

Eventually, Pastor Løken was given permission by the other whaling companies to speak to workers at the stations around South Georgia. However, Løken wrote that “religious life does not wax strong amongst the whalers and left much to be desired.”



In 1914, Løken returned to Norway where he was a priest in various parishes until his retirement. In 1921 he married Signe Bertelsen; they had no children. He died in 1975.

He is remembered by the name Løken Pond, named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1991. It is located east of Burnet Cove at Maiviken, in the northern part of the Thatcher Peninsula on South Georgia.