24 Feb 1831            Enderby Land is discovered by British Capt. John Biscoe
                         (b. 1794 - d. 1843) in the Tula and Lively.
27 Nov 1833            McDonald Island and Heard Islands probably sighted by
                         British sealer Peter Kemp on the brig Magnet.
19 Jan 1840            Wilkes Land is discovered by U.S. Lt. Charles Wilkes
                         (b. 1798 - d. 1877).
 9 Jan 1841            Victoria Land claimed for the U.K. by Capt. James Clark
                         Ross (b. 1800 - d. 1862).
25 Nov 1853            Heard Island sighted by American Capt. John J. Heard
                         (b. 1809 - d. 1862) on the barque Oriental.
 4 Jan 1854            McDonald Islands sighted by British Capt. William
                         McDonald aboard the Samarang.
22 Feb 1902            Kaiser Wilhelm II Land (Kaiser-Wilhelm-II.-Land) or the
                         Wilhelm II Coast (Wilhelm-II-Küste) discovered and
                         named by Erich Dagobert von Drygalski (b. 1865 - d.
                         1889), leader of the German Gauss (Deutsche Südpolar)
                         Expedition to Antarctica.
1911 - 1914            Australian explorer Douglas Mawson leads the Australasian
                         Antarctic Expedition.
21 Feb 1912            Queen Mary Land (or Queen Mary Coast) claimed for U.K.
                         and named by Douglas Mawson (b. 1882 - d. 1958).
26 Nov - 3 Dec 1929    Heard Island occupied by Sir Douglas Mawson's (s.a.)
                         Antarctic expedition.
13 Jan 1930            Enderby Land is claimed for U.K. by Sir Douglas Mawson
                         (s.a.).
13 Jan 1930            A new expedition by Sir Douglas Mawson having reached
                         Antarctica on the Discovery, he proclaims British
                         sovereignty for "the territory of Enderby Land, Kemp
                         Land, Mac. Robertson Land (this area being so named
                         after Australian philanthropist Sir Macpherson
                         Robertson) together with off-lying islands as located
                         in our charts constituting a sector of the Antarctic
                         regions lying between longitudes 47° E and 73° E and
                         south of latitude 65° S.
18 Feb 1931            Mawson's second proclamation is for "territory...
                         extending continuously from Adélie Land, westwards to
                         Mac. Robertson Land being that part of the Antarctic
                         mainland and off-lying islands... situate between
                         meridia 138° and 60° E and south of latitude 64° as far
                         as the South Pole." (Princess Elizabeth Land).
 7 Feb 1933            British order-in-council places the portion of Antarctica
                         lying between 45° and 160° E, excepting the French
                         territory of Adélie Land (defined in 1938 as the area
                         between 136° and 142° E), under the authority of
                         Australia - an area of almost 6,000,000 sq km.
13 Jun 1933            Australian legislation accepting the territory, the
                         Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933, is
                         assented to.
24 Aug 1936            The Australian Antarctic Territory is brought into
                         existence by governor-general's proclamation.
Jan 1938               Sir Hubert Wilkins raises the Australian flag on
                         Antarctic islands and land previously claimed by Mawson
 1 Apr 1938            Boundaries with French Terre Adélie are fixed 
                         definitively between longitudes 136°E and 142°E.
28 May 1947            Australian Antarctic Planning Committee formed which
                         from Aug 1947 operates the Australian National
                         Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE).
May 1948               Antarctic Division of the Department of External Affairs
                         (from 1 Jan 1949, Australian Antarctic Division [AAD]
                         in the Department of Environment and Energy) is
                         established, to administer and provide support for
                         ANARE, later the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP),
                         covering the Australian Antarctic Territory (as well as
                         the Heard and McDonald Islands and Macquarie Island).
26 Dec 1947            Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Macquarie Island
                         are transferred to Australia by U.K. (both administered
                         by Australian Antarctic Division).
13 Feb 1954            Mawson Station (named for Sir Douglas Mawson), is set up
                         in Mac. Robertson Land, the first permanent Australian
                         station in Antarctica.
 1 Nov 1954            By the "Australian Antarctic Territory Act 1954", the
                         laws of the Australian Capital Territory are declared
                         to be in force in the Australian Antarctic Territory
                         (so far as they are applicable and not inconsistent
                         with any ordinance made under the act).
13 Jan 1957            Davis Station (named after the late Capt. John King
                         Davis, second-in-command of two of Mawson's expeditions
                         is established in the Vestfold Hills area (temporarily
                         closed 25 Jan 1965 - 15 Feb 1969).
 1 Dec 1959            Australia is a founding signatory of the Antarctic
                         Treaty (which enters into force on 23 Jun 1961).
19 Feb 1969            Repstat is officially opened. It is renamed Casey in
                         honor of Governor-General Richard Casey.
Dec 1988               A new Casey station officially opened.