George V Land

Abstract

By an Order-in-Council dated February 14,1933, Great Britain has for the third time asserted sovereign rights in the Antarctic upon the sector theory. The Falkland sector was created as a result of official acts of July 1,1908, and March 2, 1917, by which "all islands and territories whatsoever" between longitude 20° W. and 50° W. south of latitude 50° S., and between longitude 50° W. and 80° W. south of latitude 58° S., are to be known as the Falkland Islands Dependencies. The Ross sector was created by the Order-in-Council of July 30, 1923, and comprises all islands and territories south of latitude 60° S. and between longitude 160° W. and 150° W. This sector was allocated to New Zealand. The recent Order-in-Council sets up a sector larger than the two earlier ones combined: "All the islands and territories other than Adelie Land situated south of the 60th degree of South Latitude and lying between the 160th degree of East Longitude and the 45th degree of East Longitude." Thus Great Britain by the so-called sector principle has laid claim to sovereign rights to all islands and territories, whether discovered or not at the date of the Order-in-Council, within a zone comprising more than two-thirds of the globe south of 60 degrees with the South Pole at its center, with the exception only of Adelie Land in extent undetermined.The recent Order-in-Council states in the preamble that His Majesty has "sovereign rights" over all the islands and territories within the sector. Upon what principle are these sovereign rights based? Upon no other, certainly, than discovery. At the Imperial Conference of 1926 it was stated that there were certain areas "in these Antarctic regions to which a British title already exists by virtue of discovery." The areas within the present zone include Enderby Land, Kemp Land, Queen Mary Land, King George V Land, Oates Land, together with "the area which lies to the west of Adelie Land and which on its discovery by the Australian Antarctic Expedition in 1912 was denominated Wilkes Land." The allocation of the sector to Australia is in recognition of the work of Australian explorers, Sir Douglas Mawson in particular.

Indigenous Autonomy

“…Some privately financed expeditions by US nationals such as those by Byrd in 1929Byrd in -1931Byrd in and 1933Byrd in -1935 advanced claims on behalf of the United States. The United States nevertheless reserved its rights in respect to questions of territorial sovereignty in Antarctica (Myhre 1986), and several US scholars (e.g., Reeves 1934) rejected the idea that Antarctic territory might be acquired by effective occupation, suggesting that Antarctica might be res communis as opposed to terra nullius. US Antarctic policy was from the 1920s to the 1950s undergirded by what became known as the Hughes doctrine, which meant:…”

Indian Rebellion of 1857

“…Some privately financed expeditions by US nationals such as those by Byrd in 1929Byrd in -1931Byrd in and 1933Byrd in -1935 advanced claims on behalf of the United States. The United States nevertheless reserved its rights in respect to questions of territorial sovereignty in Antarctica (Myhre 1986), and several US scholars (e.g., Reeves 1934) rejected the idea that Antarctic territory might be acquired by effective occupation, suggesting that Antarctica might be res communis as opposed to terra nullius. US Antarctic policy was from the 1920s to the 1950s undergirded by what became known as the Hughes doctrine, which meant:…”