Macquarie

Macquarie Island lies in the subantarctic ocean south of New Zealand. Cold, windy conditions and difficult landings distinguish it from the sheltered waters of many inhabited Pacific islands. It was not known as a permanent settlement before the nineteenth century; its recorded history in that period is tied to maritime voyages and sealing.

A sealing voyage recorded the island in 1810, after which Britain claimed it and sealers sought skins and oil there. Parties working ashore faced severe weather, difficult landings and dependence on visiting ships for supplies. Macquarie became part of a wider commercial expansion across subantarctic waters, where temporary camps were linked to distant markets by long and hazardous voyages.