A Hero’s Welcome in Hobart

Abstract

An account of the highly anticipated arrival of the Fram at Hobart on March 7, 1912, the discreet disembarking of Roald Amundsen to send out his announcement telegrams, and the seclusion of men and sled dogs on the ship in order to prevent any leaking of news, is given in this chapter. The pursuit of Amundsen by journalists on water and land is portrayed, as is Amundsen’s reticence to disclose his news until he receives instructions from his brother Leon and transmits his cables to The Daily Chronicle. Tellingly, as highlighted by the author, Amundsen’s solitary kernel of news given to the journalists, who hound him for information about the South Pole, is in regard to the sled dogs, who meanwhile garner very real and intense interest from the public and media. The chapter also includes the receipt of the first congratulatory cables, the publishing of the official newspaper story on March 8, the publishing of previous interviews with Tannatt William Edgeworth David and Captain John King Davis of the Douglas Mawson expedition, and the new plan for 21 of the sled dogs on the Fram.

Notes on Original Material and Unpublished Sources

Roald Amundsen’s expedition diary, quoted in this chapter, is in the Manuscripts Collection at the National Library of Norway (NB) in Oslo. (The excerpts quoted are translated from the original Norwegian.)

All Roald Amundsen letters of correspondence quoted in this chapter, written from and to Roald Amundsen and Leon Amundsen, are in the Manuscripts Collection at the National Library of Norway (NB) in Oslo. (The excerpts quoted that were originally in Norwegian were translated for the author by Anne Melgård during the author’s research at the National Library of Norway.)

• 1. R. Amundsen Antarctic expedition diary, 7 March 1912, NB Ms.8º 1196

• 2. R. Amundsen to L. Amundsen, telegram written in code and decoded into Norwegian, typed draft, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:B

• 3. R. Amundsen to King Haakon VII, telegram written in code and decoded into Norwegian, typed draft, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:B

• 4. R. Amundsen to F. Nansen, telegram written in code and decoded into Norwegian, typed draft, 7 March 1912, NB Ms.fol. 1924:5:3

• 5. R. Amundsen to A. Heiberg, telegram written in code and decoded into Norwegian, typed draft, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 6. R. Amundsen to P. Christopherson, telegram written in Norwegian, typed draft, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 7. L. Amundsen to R. Amundsen, telegram written in code and decoded into Norwegian, 7 March 1912, received 8 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 8. R. Amundsen Antarctic expedition diary, 8 March 1912, NB Ms.8º 1196

• 9. P. Christophersen to R. Amundsen, telegram written in Norwegian, 7 March 1912, received 8 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 10. King Haakon VII to R. Amundsen, telegram written in Norwegian, 7 March 1912, received 8 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:B

• 11. T. W. E. David to R. Amundsen, telegram in English, 7 March 1912 sent and received, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 12. The Daily Chronicle to L. Amundsen, telegram written in code and decoded into English, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 812:2:h

• 13. The Daily Chronicle to L. Amundsen, telegram written in English, 7 March 1912, NB Brevs. 812:2:h

• 14. R. Amundsen Antarctic expedition diary, 9 March 1912, NB Ms.8º 1196

• 15. A. Heiberg to R. Amundsen, telegram written in English, 8 March 1912, received 9 March 1912, NB Brevs. 480:C

• 16. R. Amundsen Antarctic expedition diary, 9 March 1912, NB Ms.8º 1196