The British Post Offices in the South Shetland Islands

Your browser does not seem to support iframes. Click here to read this PDF. Convert your PDF to digital flipbook ↗ The South Shetland Islands is a group of islands to the north and northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula. The islands are claimed by Argentina, Chile and The United Kingdom. They lie south of latitude 60°S and thus fall within the area governed since 23rd June 1961 by the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and Protocols. The South Shetland Islands were first discovered in 1599 by Dick Gerritz, a dutch navigator, and re-discovered by William Smith in the Williams in February 1819. He called the islands New South Britain but this was soon changed to the New South Shetlands, later shortened to the South Shetlands. William Smith took formal possession for the British Crown at King George Island on 16th October 1819. Henry Foster in the Chanticleer made magnetic observations on the islands in 1830 and the harbour at Deception Island, Port Foster, is named after him. The major islands in the group are: Smith Island, Snow Island, Livingston Island, Deception Island, Greenwich Island, Robert Island, Nelson Island, King George Island, Gibbs Island, Elephant Island, Clarence Island. The South Shetlands were the hunting grounds of sealers and whalers during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Land based King George Island is home to a large number of Antarctic Research Stations, being easily accessible by ship and air from Tierra Del Fuego. The Chilean Air force maintains an airfield on the Fildes Peninsula called Rudolfo Marsh. Research stations have been, or are, also sited on Livingston Island (Half Moon Island), Greenwich Island, Nelson Island and Deception Island.