George Buckley (explorer)

Buckley (left) with Jameson Adams and Alistair Mackay in the rigging of the Nimrod; Koonya in the background

George Alexander Maclean Buckley CBE DSO (25 October 1866 – 10 November 1937) was a New Zealand farmer, soldier and adventurer. He ventured partway to Antarctica with the Nimrod Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton.

Early life

Buckley was born on 25 October 1866 at his parents' homestead, Casteron, in the Christchurch suburb Heathcote Valley. His father was George Buckley, who at the time of his birth was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Council. From 1878 to 1880, he boarded at Condell's House to attend Christ's College. He finished his education in England at Cheltenham College.

In his early years, Buckley farmed at Lagmhor, a locality inland from Ashburton and to the west of the Ashburton River South Branch. His youngest sister, Ruby, married Arthur Rolleston in 1899.

Antarctic journey

Buckley holds the distinction of being the last to join Shackleton's Nimrod expedition, having secured passage aboard merely two hours prior, pleading with Shackleton personally to be transported as far as the pack ice and then rushing to gather his effects in time. "Surely a record in the way of joining a Polar expedition", Shackleton is reported to have said at the time.

Buckley did not travel with the expedition all the way to Antarctica proper, but only as far as the pack ice, at which point he transferred to another ship, the Koonya, which had towed the Nimrod up to that point, allowing the latter to reserve its coal fuel for exploring the region. But in his time with the Nimrod and despite being something of a tourist, Buckley gained admiration from his shipmates for his willingness to work and time spent caring for the animals aboard. So while the crew of the Koonya slaughtered 10 sheep on deck and sent the carcasses to the Nimrod as fresh meat for their further journey, the sailors of the Nimrod gave Buckley a champagne toast before sending him home aboard that other ship.

A photograph can be found of Buckley, Lieutenant Jameson Boyd Adams (Nimrod second-in-command and meteorologist) and Alistair Forbes Mackay, assistant surgeon, standing in the rigging of the Nimrod, with the Koonya in the background.

Honours and awards

In November 1916, Buckley was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, for conspicuous gallantry in action. His citation noted that "he led his battalion with the greatest courage and determination". In the 1919 King's Birthday Honours, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for valuable services rendered in connection with World War I.

Family and death

Buckley married Mabel Warren in 1890 in England. She was the daughter of Francis Warren of Slough in Berkshire, England. They had three children. His wife died in 1929.

Buckley died suddenly in London on 10 November 1937.

Buckley is the namesake for two features in Antarctica: Buckley Island, an island proximate to Beardmore Glacier, and Mount Buckley, an ice-free peak, 2,555 metres (8,383 ft) high, of Buckley Island. Both were discovered by Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition of 1907–09.