It is a mystery and shame that this great man passes through history largely unknown even to those of us who live in this region.

Born in a stone farm house in 1888, he was one of the thirteen Wilkins children who attended the school at Mt Bryan East.

His family endured hard times, droughts, bitter winters and the full strength of the summers that this landscape offers.

Perhaps this fortified the man for his future endeavours and adventures, which began when, interrupting his studies, he stowed away on a boat to pursue his passions for the film camera and the flying machine.

Wilkins worked as a cinematographer, covering events including the Balkans War.

He went on his first trip to the arctic as a cinematographer in 1913.

There, he learned to live off the polar ice and thus sparked his love for polar travel.

In 1917 he went to France as an official war photographer, often risking his life to capture the fighting at the Western Front, and always refusing to carry firearms.

He became the only Australian Official Photographer in any war to receive combat decorations and was awarded the Military Cross twice.

Wilkins competed in the England to Australia Air Race in 1919 as a navigator before being appointed Naturalist on Sir Ernest Shackleton’s last expedition to the Antartic.

The British Museum of Natural History then sent him on an expedition of his own.

Travelling for two years through remote Queensland, Northern Territory and Torres Straight, filming and collecting specimens for the Museum.

During this time, he gained a respect and understanding of the Aboriginal people and their culture.

With pilot Carl Ben Eilson, he flew across the Artic Sea from Barrow in Alaska to Spitsbergen, Norway.

It made both the pilot and Wilkins celebrities, and Wilkins was knighted, becoming Sir Hubert.

Wilkins was the first person to fly a plane in Antartica and it was the first time in history, undiscovered land was mapped from a plane.

Marrying Australian singer and actress, Suzanne Bennett, in 1930, it was surprising he found the time between projects for a private life.

In 1931, Wilkins accomplished an ambitious project by taking the submarine, ‘Nautilus’ under the Artic ice.

With American Explorer, Lincoln Ellsworth he returned to the Artic in 1938 discovering new land.

Between the years of 1939 and 1958, Wilkins taught Artic

survival skills to the United States army and remained a consultant for future pioneering and Artic expeditions.

In 1957, aged 70, he completed his ninth trip to Antartica.

Wilkins died in 1958 in an American hotel room.

His ashes were taken by the submarine, ‘Skate,’ in 1959, becoming the first submarine to surface at the North Pole.

A memorial service was held and his ashes scattered over the ice.

It was a fitting end to the life of a remarkable Australian man from Mt Bryan East.