In 1929 the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) was formed with Sir Douglas Mawson as commander and John King Davis, his former captain on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14, as master of the Discovery. This was Robert Falcon Scott's ship from his expedition of 1901-04 and was lent by the British government.

BANZARE was primarily a political expedition to claim land for the British Crown. In the minds of the politicians science did not rank particularly high, but Mawson and his men made extensive collections on a number of islands including Crozet, Heard and Kerguelen Islands, as well as from the Antarctic mainland itself when they were able to land. Collections were also made by using dredges. Once collected every specimen needed to be sorted and tagged for future examination.

Mawson is seated at the table third from the left.

Ayres, Philip J Mawson: a life Carlton South, Vic.: Miegunyah Press: Melbourne University Press, 1999

British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (1929-1931) The winning of Australian Antarctica; Mawson's B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. voyages, 1929-31, based on the Mawson papers. By A. Grenfell Price. Published for the Mawson Institute for Antarctic Research, University of Adelaide [Sydney] Angus and Robertson 1962

Reports. Series B, Zoology and botany B.A.N.Z. Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-1931 under the command of Sir Douglas Mawson Adelaide: B.A.N.Z.A.R. Expedition Committee, 1937-