RRS Discovery Centenary, Dundee
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DISCOVERY!
The
famous ship Discovery is 100 years old this year and there will
be plenty of occasions to celebrate over the coming months as Lorraine
Wakefield has been finding out.
One hundred years ago on 21 March 1901 a groundbreaking ship purpose built for scientific research set sail from Dundee on an epic journey that would ensure its place in history.
The ship in question was the Royal Research Ship Discovery and under the leadership of Captain Robert Falcon Scott it embarked on a remarkable journey to the unknown Antarctic continent and a true voyage of discovery.
Now in its centenary year the RRS Discovery is being celebrated in a year long programme of events aimed at marking the grand ship's history. Dundee Heritage Trust, custodians of the ship, will also use the celebrations to help ensure its future by raising £500,000 towards a conservation programme.
The Discovery 100 celebrations focus not only on the ship but also the great explorers and discoveries of the present day with NASA astronauts and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes among those helping to mark the occasion.
Captain Scott's grandson Falcon Scott visited Discovery Point to launch the centenary year and said it was important to celebrate the great age of Antarctic exploration at the turn of the last century and to preserve it for future generations.
"I am very pleased that the Discovery is still in existence, that it is in Dundee and that it is a symbol of geographic discovery and scientific discovery," he said.
"This ship was the first ship to be built specifically for scientific research at a time when the Antarctic continent was not really on the map at all. She is unique and is quite rightly regarded as one of the most significant ships ever to leave the UK's shores.
"At that particular time in history when they sailed to the Antarctic they had very little idea of what they were actually sailing into, they had a very small outline of the coastline but basically nothing else, it was a huge blank.
"They had no idea what they were going into and no communication with the outside world having gone down there and I think it is very special that the centenary is celebrated to mark a great age of exploration in the Antarctic."
His views were echoed by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, one of the world's greatest living explorers, who is patron of the Discovery 100 celebrations and will speak at the Gala Centenary Dinner marking the ship's launch in March.
"RRS
Discovery is a ship of great international importance and the occasion
of her centenary is no less significant," he said.
"She crossed unchartered boundaries in scientific exploration and has been an inspiration to a vast array of people from a variety of backgrounds.
"It is critical that the fundraising effort of Dundee Heritage Trust during 2001 is afforded unstinting support to allow the ongoing restoration of the ship to continue and keep her safe for the enjoyment of future generations."
Sir Ranulph will speak on the history of Discovery at the Gala Centenary Dinner where he will be joined by eminent cancer research scientist Professor Sir David Lane, who will talk about current discoveries, and the director of NASA George Abbey who will speak on discoveries of the future.
NASA will again be involved in the celebrations when a piece of original wood from Discovery is taken onboard the space shuttle Discovery when it is launched in March and will orbit the earth before being returned for display at Discovery Point.
Among some of the other highlights of the Discovery 100 calendar are the issue of a commemorative stamp cover, an orchestral concert at the Caird Hall during which a piece composed specially for the occasion will be premiered and a pro-am golf tournament.
The Spirit of Discovery friendship cruise from Esbjerg in Denmark to Dundee and a gathering of Tall Ships will be held in August, at the conclusion of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race, along with a festival of sail on the River Tay.
Organisers of Discovery 100 are also trying to track down descendants of the crew who manned the ship on her epic first voyage to the Antarctic from 1901-04 so they can be invited to a special descendants gathering at Discovery Point at the start of August.
Conservation work needed on Discovery over the next five years will cost £1.5million. Dundee Heritage Trust have set themselves the target of raising £500,000 during the centenary celebrations and trust chief executive Alan Rankin says everyone can help.
"The biggest way we can reach that target is for visitors to come and visit us during the centenary year to support the trust and our fundraising efforts," he said.
As well as the major centenary events
there is a whole host of other things going on including a Grand
Burns Night, science week workshops for schools, lectures by the
British Antarctic Survey, concerts, a family fun weekend and a Gala
Ball.
More information about Discovery Point and the centenary celebrations
can be found on the website at www.rrsdiscovery.com
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