Mapped from air photos taken by the United States Navy Operation Highjump (1946-1947) and named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Lieutenant Commander David E. Bunger, United States Navy, plane commander of one of the three USN OpHjp aircraft which engaged in photographic missions along most of the coastal area between 14 E and 164 E. David E. Bunger and members of his crew landed their airplane on an unfrozen lake here in February 1947.

The leader of Operation Highjump, Admiral Richard E. Byrd stated that the Bunger Hills was ‘…one of the most remarkable regions on earth.

It was first observed by members of the western party of the Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914), who were unable to reach it due to heavy crevassing on the Denman and Scott Glaciers.

The Soviet Union built a scientific station by the name of Oazis (Оазис) in the center of the area at 66°16′29″S 100°44′49″E / 66.27472°S 100.74694°E / -66.27472; 100.74694, starting October 15, 1956, with two buildings for eight people.

[3] The Soviet Union became interested in the Bunger Hills again in the late 1980s, and built the Oazis 2 station a few hundred metres to the west of Dobrowolski.