Alexander von Tunzelmann

Alexander Francis Henry von Tunzelmann (15 June 1877 - 19 September 1957), a New Zealand crew member of on the Norwegian whaling ship "Antarctica" is generally credited as the first person to set foot on the mainland of Antarctica—at Cape Adare on 24 January 1895.

Family background

Alexander was a member of the von Tunzelmann family, who migrated from Prussia to Estonia where they were members of the Baltic German Ritterschaft or nobility. Two brothers and a sister from the faimily settled in New Zealand.

He was born in Nelson, and died in Invercargill.

Circumstances of the landing

The voyage of the whaling ship "Antarctic" captained by Leonard Kristensen and financed by Henryk Bull put a boat ashore on 24 January 1895 in the vicinity of Cape Adare, at the northern extremity of the Victoria Land. The boat held six men, including Bull, Kristensen, Carsten Borchgrevink and the 17-year old New Zealand seaman Tunzelmann. All three apparantly set foot within moments of each other, so credit is sometimes given, or claimed for each.( [http://www.heritage-antarctica.org/english/first-landing/] [http://www.antarctic-circle.org/rosove.htm] [http://www.antarctica.org.nz/02-history/index.html] [http://books.google.com/books?id=fRJtB2MNdJMC&pg=PA678&dq=%22alexander+von+tunzelman%22&ei=hPTPSKbNJpDwsgPlkpGXCg&client=firefox&sig=ACfU3U2yHr23DIre6Zh9aIUmCHO9tcqFig]

Recognition

In 1998, the place Tunzelmann landed was officially named Von Tunzelmann Point by the New Zealand government. [http://www.linz.govt.nz/placenames/decisions-and-public-notices-of-place-names/24jun2004/index.aspx] .

ee also

* Carsten Borchgrevink
* Henryk Bull
* John Davis (sealer)
* Victoria Land

References

*Item on his death in "Southland News" of 20 September 1957