MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Formation of South Georgia Association.

An educational charity called “the South Georgia Association” is to be set up to encourage interest in and promote study of South Georgia and conservation of its natural and cultural heritage. It will encourage contacts and fellowship among those who have lived and worked in or around South Georgia, have visited or are interested in the Island. The Association will be formally inaugurated at a meeting in London on December 14th.

The founder members include three former Governors of the Falkland Islands who also had responsibility for administering South Georgia -- Sir Rex Hunt, David Tatham and William Fullerton ; distinguished scientists linked to the British Antarctic Survey such as Professor John Croxall and Doctor John Heap; Robert Burton, former director of the South Georgia Whaling Museum, who is creating a South Georgia History Database; Alexandra Shackleton, grand-daughter of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who climbed South Georgia's unmapped peaks to rescue his doomed 1914 Antarctic expedition; the former Canon of Stanley's Christchurch Cathedral, Stephen Palmer; and Falkland Island resident, Sally Poncet.

They are inviting to join them people and organisations with South Atlantic interests and, they say, "anyone who shares our affection and concern for South Georgia and wishes to follow developments there". They are seeking names and addresses of anyone interested, and also comments on their objectives and ideas.

They plan regular meetings in Britain, visits to organisations, ships or sites of South Georgia interest, and a twice yearly newsletter with news on new developments and features on its history, wildlife and other topics.

"Worth defending and preserving"

They describe South Georgia as "a unique sub-Antarctic island of exceptional natural beauty, with wonderful wild life on land and at sea. It has an interesting heritage, is environmentally vulnerable, very precious, and very worth defending and preserving".

It is a United Kingdom overseas territory, together with the South Sandwich Islands, administered by a Commissioner based in the Falkland Islands. It is home to two scientific stations of the British Antarctic Survey, which last March replaced British military personnel stationed there since its recovery in 1982 from Argentine invasion.

The December inaugural meeting will adopt a constitution, agree a programme for the year 2002, and have a presentation by Nick Lewis on "Shackleton on Screen" ? the making of the new IMAX film.

The founder members are: Bob Burton, John Croxall, Angus Erskine, Patrick Fagan, William Fullerton, John Heap, Rex Hunt, Pat Lurcock, Sarah Lurcock,