In 1916, Ernest Shackleton and a small crew landed on the unpopulated southern coast of South Georgia at King Haakon Bay after an arduous sea voyage from Elephant Island in the 22-foot (6.7 m) lifeboat, James Caird.

Shackleton, along with Tom Crean and Frank Worsley, then trekked across South Georgia's mountainous and glaciated interior in an effort to reach help on the populated northern shore of the island.

[1] After 36 hours of crossing the interior, they arrived at the Stromness administration centre which also was the home of the Norwegian whaling station's manager.

In the decades following its closure, Stromness has been subject to damage from the elements and many of its buildings have been reduced to ruins.

However, recent efforts have been made to restore the "Villa" and clean up debris from the rest of the site in order to make it safe for visitors.