Henrik Johan Bull

Finally in 1891 he obtained a position at Trapp, Blair and Co, Melbourne shipping agents and with the support of his employer was able to pursue his dream of an Antarctic whaling and sealing expedition.

On 24 January 1895, a boat was put ashore with six men including Bull, Leonard Kristensen, Carsten Borchgrevink and seaman Alexander von Tunzelmann at Cape Adare, Antarctica.

At the time they believed they were the first men to set foot on Antarctica – and they are certainly the best confirmed – but unknown to them sealer John Davis, had made a disputed claim that he stepped onto the Antarctic Peninsula much earlier in 1821.

The book was also published in English under the title The cruise of the 'Antarctic' to the South Polar regions (London & New York: Edward Arnold, 1896).

This time Bull did not join the voyage, but again disaster struck when Solglimt hit an unmarked reef and had to be run to the beach.

[10] Later that year Bull and his son’s company embarked on an even more ambitious plan, establishing a whaling station and processing factory on the Kerguelen Islands.

When the war was over the company didn’t have the capital to re-establish itself and was sold [11] By then Bull was in his mid-70s and finally retired from his attempts of establishing an Antarctic whaling and sealing empire.