P007925 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2025-12-11 human Helen Cohn updated 2025-12-11 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007925b.htm person Whetter Leslie Hatton AACR2 10 December 1888 12 December 1955 Place of Birth Dunedin, New Zealand Place of Death Matakana, New Zealand Medical practitioner Antarctic explorer Leslie Whetter was appointed to the Australasian Antarctic Expedition after graduating in medicine in 1910 at the University of Dunedin. It was initially intended that he be medical officer for the fourth base. This did not eventuate, however, Whetter becoming assistant meteorologist and assistant doctor at Cape Denison. His relations with the Expedition leader, Douglas Mawson, were less than cordial, but he did persuade Mawson to curtail the hours Expedition members were expected to work, and to have Sundays off. Whetter joined Francis Bickerton and Alfred Hodgeman in a sledging expedition to explore the western coast of Commonwealth Bay. The motorised sledge failed on the second day, the men thereafter having to manually haul the sledge. During this expedition they found the first meteorite to be discovered in Antarctica. Whetter departed Antarctica in February1913. He resumed his medical career and served with the New Zealand expeditionary Force from 1917 to 1920. After three years as medical officer in Samoa, he established a practice at Matakana, near Auckland, New Zealand. Ill-health caused him to retire in 1933. He is commemorated in the Whetter Nunatak, near Cape Denison, Antarctica. 1910 1910 Education - Graduated in medicine, University of Dunedin, New Zealand 1911 February 1913 Career position - Medical officer, Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Cape Denison 3 December 1912 18 January 1913 Career position - Member of sledging party to explore western coast of Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica 1915 1915 Award - Polar Medal (silver) 1923 1933 Career position - Medical practitioner, Matakana, New Zealand 1933 1933 Life event - Retired Hodgeman, Alfred (1888 - 1964) Bickerton, Francis Howard (1889 - 1954) Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911 - 1914)

Assistant medical officer, Cape Denison 1911 - February 1913

 'Whetter, Leslie Hatton', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Whetter, Leslie Hatton Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Whetter of the Antarctic Anon Whetter of the Antarctic 2013 Otago settlers news 117 June 3-6 Journal Article: In the Footsteps of McLean, Jones and Whetter: 100 Years of Australian Antarctic Medical Practice Lugg, Desmond and Ayton, Jeff In the Footsteps of McLean, Jones and Whetter: 100 Years of Australian Antarctic Medical Practice 2012 Australian Antarctic Magazine 22 36-9 Book: Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Explorer Riffenburgh, Beau Racing with Death: Douglas Mawson - Antarctic Explorer London Bloomsbury 2008 Book: The home of the blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911 - 1914 Mawson, Douglas The home of the blizzard: being the story of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911 - 1914 London J.B. Lippincott: Heinemann 1915 Book: Mawson's remarkable men: the personal stories of the epic 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expediton Jensen, David Mawson's remarkable men: the personal stories of the epic 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expediton Sydeny Allen and Unwin 2015