Andrew Keith Jack | |
|---|---|
 Aneroid Barometer used by Keith Jack during Antarctic expedition | |
| Born | 9 September 1885 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 26 September 1966 (aged 81) |
| Education | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Physicist |
Andrew Keith Jack (also known as Keith Jack) (9 September 1885 – 26 September 1966) was an Australian physicist who served as a member of the Ross Sea Party as part of Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
Keith Jack was educated at the University of Melbourne, graduating with an MSc in 1914. A year later he joined the Shackleton expedition, where along with other members of the crew, he became stranded for 2 years in Antarctica after the loss of the ship Aurora. During this time he kept a regular diary across five volumes.[1] Keith was rescued along with six other survivors in 1917. Keith also took many photographs during the expedition, some of which were later hand-coloured as lantern slides.[2] Keith's diaries, as well as a number of his artefacts from the expedition, including his 1829 Aneroid barometer and a set of two thermometers, were bequeathed to the Museum Victoria.[3][4]
After the expedition, Keith worked during the war in an explosives factory (known as the Cordite Factory), utilising his expertise in chemistry, eventually become a Senior Assistant Manager.[5] After the war he took on various roles managing explosives and safety for the Australian Government.
