This map was published to accompany Hubert Wilkins' account of his aerial survey of Graham Land in the Antarctic in 1928-29. It reveals the series of islands and channels that he believed existed.

Wilkins based his expedition on Deception Island in Bransfield Strait. Unusually light ice conditions that year hampered his operations: there was only roughly a depth of two feet of ice, instead of the six to eight feet anticipated. This meant there would be some difficulties for the plane's landing field. Overcoming this problem, Wilkins and his pilot Ben Eielson made the first flight in the Antarctic on 16 November 1928.

On 20 December they made the long flight down the length of Graham Land on which Wilkins observed and recorded the channels that divided the land: Crane, Casey, Lurabee and Stephansson. He also named Hearst Land after his sponsor William Hearst. A further flight was made on 10 January 1929 and these observations were confirmed. The aerial survey was not followed up by any ground based surveys. From this expedition it was assumed that Graham Land was separated from the Antarctic mainland and was a series of islands.

During 1934-37 John Rymill and the men of his British Graham Land Expedition showed that Wilkins' work was incorrect. By their own aerial reconnaissance, backed up by extensive ground based survey work along the western coast and by ascending to the mountains that ran the length of the peninsula, they proved that there were no channels and that Graham Land was a peninsula of the continent: the Antarctic Peninsula as it is known today.

Rymill, John, 1905-1968

Wilkins, Sir Hubert The Wilkins-Hearst Antarctic Expedition, 1928-1929 in Geographical review vol. 19 (3) July 1929, pp. 353-376

Mill, Hugh Robert The significance of Sir Hubert Wilkins' Antarctic flights in Geographical review vol. 19 (3) July 1929 pp. 377-386

Nasht, Simon The last explorer: Hubert Wilkins Australia's unknown hero Sydney: Hodder Australia, 2005

Grierson, John, Sir Hubert Wilkins, enigma of exploration London: R. Hale, 1960

Wilkins, G. H. (George Hubert), Sir, Flying the Arctic New York: London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1928