Amundsen bust unveiled in new setting

A bust of legendary Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen has been unveiled on a specially designed new plinth outside the IMAS Waterfront Building in Hobart.

The sculpture, one of three made by American sculptor Victor Lewis, was presented to the people of Tasmania in 1988 to commemorate Amundsen’s arrival in Hobart on 7 March 1912 after he led the first team to reach the South Pole.

Its new setting was unveiled by Norway’s Ambassador to Australia, Ms Unni Klovstad, and IMAS Executive Director Prof Richard Coleman.

Prof Coleman said the sculpture had been relocated several times since 1988 but would now have a permanent, more appropriate home on the plinth, which was built as part of exterior landscaping works being undertaken at the waterfront site.

“Those of us who work and study in the building are familiar with the bust, which was also previously located outside our old site at the Sandy Bay Campus.

“The sculpture is a daily reminder of the pioneering explorers who led the way South little more than one hundred years ago, and the respect we have for those whose footsteps we are still following.

“The Ambassador’s presence here today reflects the importance of Roald Amundsen in Norwegian and Antarctic history, as well as the modern links between Norway and Australia as nations that are deeply involved in polar research and governance.”

The bust was commissioned by explorer and businessman Einar Sverre Pedersen and moved to the entrance of the new IMAS Building in 2014 to make it more accessible for local and international visitors, and to recognise the historical significance of Hobart as a gateway to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.