HOBARTICA

Hobartica was launched as part of Beaker Street Festival in August 2024, conceived of as an Antarctic outpost on Hobart’s waterfront. The first iteration was a weeklong activation that included polar plunge pools in Tasmanian whisky barrels, wood-fired saunas, and an Antarctic Lounge in the Waterside Pavilion. Visitors were invited to chat with a huge range of Antarctic scientists and workers about the daily life and the research taking place on the Icy Continent, against a backdrop of stunning Antarctic projections and soundscapes.

We envision Hobartica as Australia’s Antarctic experience, becoming a winter-long cultural destination in Hobart that offers visitors from around the world an immersive experience of the culture, people, environments, and science of Antarctica. During the winter, when most of our local Antarctic scientists and workers are in residence in Hobart, Hobartica will really come alive as a vibrant hub for the general public to engage with Antarcticans and take part in beloved winter rituals like the Polar Plunge.

With Hobartica, we aim to embed our Antarctic Gateway status into Hobart’s identity, generating pride in our world-leading scientists and research institutions, and in the incredible range of Antarctic operations and logistics that are based here. We also aim to offer the public a way to come together to celebrate and connect with Antarctica, without leaving a trace.

Feature image: Chloe Baigent in a Polar Plunge Pool during the first Hobartica activation at Beaker Street Festival 2024. Photograph by OI Studios.