Our Antarctic Gateway

We have a long history of providing logistical and technical support to enable exploration of Antarctica. We have shown leadership in governance, science and research on the ice and in the Southern Ocean. These are our city's most unique, and highly regarded strengths.

Hobart's waterfront has been defined by our role in Antarctic expeditions. You will find memorial plaques and brass statues dotted along the waterfront. There is even a replica of Mawson's Hut, Australia's first science and geographical base in Antarctica over a century ago.

Our Antarctic sector is supported by 1000 jobs and is worth $183 million to our local economy. Many of those working in the Antarctic sector live in and contribute to the vibrancy of our city.

Our port, operated by TasPorts, as been home to several of Australia's Antarctic icebreakers. This includes Australia's state-of-the-art icebreaker the RSV Nuyina, the most advanced polar research ship in the world.

We regularly welcome other nations' icebreakers, with each visit to our port injecting up to $2 million into our local economy.

Hobart's International Airport facilitates direct flights to the Antarctic for expeditioners.

Our specialist Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) is number one for studying the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. We rank in the top ten worldwide across various specialist fields including marine and freshwater biology, oceanography and fisheries.

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is also ranked number one for climate action.

Right next to IMAS, is the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Hobart's facilities. Here CSIRO focuses on marine and atmospheric research. It is also the home of Australia's dedicated ocean research vessel the RV Investigator.

Key international organisations have headquarters in our city. This includes the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). CCAMLR bring conferences, delegations and diplomats into the city to discuss critical issues on the protection and future management of Antarctica.

The City of Hobart is an active member and supporter of the Tasmanian Polar Network (TPN) and its sub-committee, the Tasmanian Antarctic Women's Network.

Our CEO is a member of the Tasmanian Antarctic Gateway (TAG) Advisory Committee. The advisory group is made up of executive representatives from key organisations that support our Antarctic Gateway. It is a platform for a coordinated whole of government and industry approach to the implementation of the Tasmanian Government's Antarctic Gateway Strategy 2022-27.

We are committed to seeing our Antarctic sector's advantages, values and strengths maximised. We aim to showcase our city as a centre of Antarctic excellence, in science, logistics, specialised polar products, medicine, policy and international Antarctic diplomacy.

We proudly support our sector by:

• providing a warm welcome to dignitaries, conference delegates and representatives of international Antarctic programs who visit.
• actively participating in relationships and collaborations with other Antarctic Gateway Cities and national programs, based on shared values and goals
• facilitating community interest and connectivity with Antarctica and our Antarctic sector
• publicly recognising and supporting our extraordinary Antarctic sector and its workforce
• promoting the extraordinary climate, science, research, marine and logistics capabilities of our sector to domestic and international audiences
• contributing to the development and delivery of local policies and strategies such as the Tasmanian Antarctic Gateway Strategy 2022-2027, through membership on the Tasmanian Antarctic Gateway and the Hobart City Deal
• increasing our city's capacity to accommodate the growth of our Antarctic sector
• advocating for significant investment in city infrastructure, capabilities and capacity to allow the sector to continue to provide leadership in the Antarctic
• showing leadership in developing and achieving a future vision for the sector
• facilitating information and action on climate change and its links to Antarctica
• being an active contributor to the Antarctic sector ecosystem, engaging in opportunities for increased connectively, information sharing and business and skill development.

Our commitment to Our Antarctic Gateway(PDF, 274KB)

The following cities are internationally recognised as Antarctic Gateway Cities:

• Hobart, Australia
• Christchurch, New Zealand
• Punta Arenas, Chile
• Ushuaia, Argentina
• Cape Town, South Africa

They are the most connected to Antarctica in the world, by location and by the activities that goes on within these cities.

A report jointly commissioned by gateways in 2021 identified the leading role gateways have in Antarctica's future. This has spurred the five cities to actively strengthen their relationships and collaboration.

Read full report here: Antarctic Cities: From Gateways to Custodial Cities(PDF, 11MB)

Each Antarctic Gateway City is unique. Here are some interesting facts about them.

Hobart, Australia

Hobart's port is the home of Australia's icebreaker the RSV Nuyina which expeditioners travel to Antarctica on, as well as do work on board.

Nuyina means southern lights in palawa kani, the language of Tasmanian Aborigines. The glowing green southern lights, known as the Aurora Australis, can be seen from Hobart.

Hobart has the most researchers and scientists in the southern hemisphere, with many working and studying at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS). Lots of world leading work around the impacts of climate change on Antarctica is happening here.

Sir Douglas Mawson was Australia's greatest polar explorer, claiming part of Antarctica as Australian territory. The Mawson Huts were the main base by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14 led by Mawson. Today the site is world heritage listed and there is a replica on Hobart's waterfront.

Christchurch, New Zealand

Over 100 flights take off from Christchurch International Airport every Antarctic season, safely delivering researchers, expeditioners and supplies to different stations across the continent.

Christchurch has many iconic murals including the large Crevasse Mural which was commissioned to celebrate Christchurch's Antarctic Gateway City status.

There are many husky statues around Christchurch which honour the many dogs used in early expeditions. Across from the busy Lyttelton Port there is a small island where the huskies were kept before going on expeditions.

The Magnetic Observatory in Christchurch's Botanical Gardens was where early expeditioners studied the earth's magnetic field. This helped explorers navigate their journey to Antarctica and home again.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia is popular for Antarctic tourism as it is only three days sailing to reach Antarctica. There are many jobs for people to be tour guides and crew on the ships.

Argentina's icebreaker the Almirante Irizar docks in Ushuaia. It is built to sail in the most extreme conditions. Ushuaia is also a base for many other Antarctic programs and their icebreakers.

As a city, Ushuaia proudly marks its history and encourages education around its Antarctic activities. It has an Antarctic Explorers Walk, Antarctic Museum and Library.

On the 120th anniversary of Argentina in the Antarctic, 11 large murals were painted across the city in celebration.

Punta Arenas, Chile

More than 20 countries use Punta Arenas's port and airport as a gateway to the icy continent. Antarctic cruises also leave from here.

Punta Arenas celebrates its Antarctic hero Piloto Pardo, a naval officer famous for his role in the dramatic rescue of early Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition in 1916. His statue is a famous landmark in the city.

Isla Magdalena, near Punta Arenas, is home to thousands of Magellanic penguins which are an important part of the Antarctic ecosystem.

Punta Arenas has the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) where lots of scientific research and international cooperation happens.

Cape Town, South Africa

The Port of Cape Town, located in East Pier Harbour, sits at the bottom of Cape Town's Table Mountain, at the southern tip of the African continent.

The SA Agulhas II is South Africa's icebreaker. In 2022 the SA Agulhas II was part of an expedition in the Weddell Sea that discovered the wreck of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship the Endurance.

Antarctic tourism is growing in Cape Town. Tour company White Desert flies private charters from Cape Town to Antarctica. These flights are for both tourists and researchers.

In Cape Town there is an enormous metal statue of a penguin which is set on a base of single use plastics to highlight the damage caused to our oceans.