“First-mover disadvantage” in Antarctica

Anglo-Norwegian Carsten Borchgrevink was one of the very first to set foot on Antarctica in January 1895. He left with a plan to over-winter there spending the next 2 years fundraising for an expedition - without success. Many others had similar plans. He wrote "It was up a steep hill that I had to roll my Antarctic boulder.” but eventually the "Southern Cross" expedition with an international crew departed funded by a British magazine publisher and cinema entrepreneur. It reached Cape Adare on 17 February 1899. Two huts 5.5m x 6.5m one for storage and one for living quarters for ten men were erected - Antarctica's first buildings.

Many hard lessons were learned on that first overwintering. Blocking cold draughts led to near asphyxiation by carbon monoxide. A candle scorched a wall of the hut risking sudden evacuation into the cold and dark. Relationships between the men were strained and "silence roared in our ears", wrote Borchgrevink. A member of the expedition fell ill and died and his grave had to be dynamited from frozen ground. Tobacco ran out.

Despite significant scientific accomplishments of the expedition, Borchgrevink's return home was rather coolly received. Perhaps because of his Norwegian parentage he wasn’t British enough to command the interest of his audience or perhaps the public had simply decided to look forward to the next expedition to depart, Scott’s Discovery.

Sadly the Southern Cross expedition appeared to suffer from a “first mover disadvantage” and It wasn't until 10 years later Scott acknowledged the difficulties they'd faced and Amundsen, on his successful South Pole trek paid tribute to Borchgrevink for sharing experience which made his achievement easier.