When the whaling came to an end in the 1960s, so too did habitation at Stromness. From the station’s desertion until now, the buildings have been battered with the inescapable South Georgia winds. With limited previous intervention, this has led to the decline in condition around the whaling stations. In 2022 a survey revealed that the Manager’s Villa was imminently heading towards collapse.

This stabilisation of the Villa is part of a multi-million-pound project led by South Georgia Heritage Trust and supported by Friends of South Georgia Island, with permission from the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands. The stabilisation of Stromness Manager’s Villa has allowed a key element of South Georgia’s history to remain standing as a beacon of hope on the shore of Stromness Whaling Station.

Fly-through of model of Villa created from 2012 LiDAR scan. LiDAR scanning: Geometrica/GSGSSI. Model and rendering: Jack Beccegato

Why Stabilisation?

In 2022 a survey was conducted on several whaling stations to understand the full extent of degradation. Many of the buildings were failing, succumbing to the difficult environment in which they sit. With so many of these buildings holding fascinating historical value right to the core of their fabric, the conclusion of this was that if the Manager’s Villa was not stabilised, we faced losing the building entirely.

SGHT proposed the ambitious project to stabilise the Manager’s Villa. It is not only a tangible link to the Endurance crew’s connection to South Georgia, but to a fascinating history of whaling station inhabitation and decline of the whaling industry.

Throughout you will notice that we use the word stabilisation, not restoration. The key difference between the two is that restoration is rooted in the past, whereas stabilisation is situated in the present. Restoration aims to take something back to its original essence; it often favours aesthetics. This can pose some difficult questions, namely when a building has been used for such a long time, how much would you strip back? Which era would this be situated in?

This was why the decision was made to stabilise the building. This ideology involves minimal intervention. Its aim is to of the buildings history that is layered throughout. Such as the layers of wallpaper from different periods, the retention of later additions to the building (such as the bathroom dormer window), and the scullery from the mid-20th century.

Crucially, the structure is saved.

The Team

A key part of the work was to employ Norwegian carpenters to understand the construction of the Villa and to retain the original features or repair them in the original style. Our carpenters were from Torolf Stenersen based in Sandefjord, the birthplace of modern whaling and a town with strong links to Stromness. As with the Villa when it was originally built, the carpenters imported wood and fixtures from Norway to South Georgia to be used in the build.

The Intrepid Solutions team provided project management on and off island encompassing research, procurement, logistics and permit applications. The RSK Falkland Islands team assisted with the planning, procurement and logistics for the project, as well as providing multi-skilled supporting operatives who provided day-to-day groundworks, plant operation and labour to keep the project running safely through the short austral summer season. Three members of TMA provided asbestos monitoring and management services.

The team was completed with a doctor and the crews of the support vessels Meredian (60 South) and Sola (OceanExpeditions).

The ships Meredian and Sola provided logistical support for the beginning of the season and Meredian was anchored in Stromness Bay for the duration of the project as a floating, transport-providing hotel.

On board, the team was multilingual and though small, over seven countries were represented by the people living and working on board.

Stabilisation timeline (do we really need this?)

1961  

Stromness is abandoned, leaving the Villa exposed to weather, decay, and decades without maintenance.
Jun 2025   The Saving Shackleton Heritage campaign is launched to support stabilisation of the Manager’s Villa and secure its future as a significant Shackleton site.
Nov 2025   Public reporting confirms that stabilisation work on the Villa is under way, backed by major fundraising and an international conservation effort.
Mar 2026   The team announces that work stabilising the Stromness Manager’s Villa has been completed, marking a major milestone in the project.
Now   With the Villa secured, detailed recording, including LiDAR, photogrammetry, and photography, supports the creation of a digital twin that will make the building accessible to audiences worldwide.

History revealed

Historic changes to buildings feature renovations and upgrades – these happen even in South Georgia on a whaling station. Although many objects have been taken from the Villa over the years, those that remain can reveal some small domestic histories.

These discoveries found during the stabilisation were preserved as they were often hidden in eaves and cupboards, within walls and away from easy access. In many ways they beg more questions than they reveal. Who put them there and for what purpose? Did the depositor forget they were there? And did they intend to come back for them?

One of the most significant hidden stories revealed was in a concealed attic space. Only accessible to the Stabilisation Team when they removed the roof in order to replace it. When the roof was removed it revealed discarded objects. These may have been placed there as long as 100 years ago, as the objects are all contemporary to each other. It included a Mariner’s Cap, Hartshorn blind (dated 1915), solid wood ski pole (likely handmade) and off-cuts of linoleum floor covering (with the same pattern that can be found elsewhere in the Villa).

This Mariner's Cap would have been used in South Georgia to keep the wind and weather from the head of its wearer. This cap has other names, most commonly Greek cap as it was popularised there in the 1800s. It has a close connection to seafarers and would have been a common sight around the whaling stations and ships with their maritime links. It may even be possible that this was bought from one of the ‘slop chests’ (stores) on South Georgia.
During the stabilisation works, paper-based objects were revealed behind tongue and grove boards. It is believed that in times past, anything that was available would have been used as lining or draft exclusion. Especially magazines or newspapers that had been read and were not likely to be re-read often.
This leather mitten was likely to have been worn by welders as protective clothing. The forefinger and thumb can be moved separately from the other fingers, allowing the wearer to have more freedom of movement.
This rubber sole was discovered in the basement of the Manager's Villa. The style of this shoe would suggest it was from the mid-1900s. Rubber soles were favoured around the whaling stations, as the ground would have been messy from the processing and production occurring around the station. It is also common to find raised platform boots or boots with spikes that would have been worn in particularly messy areas.
This is a small detail on a Hartshorn blind, produced in USA. However, this small pull was created by McNamee & Co., Durban, South Africa. This object was found in a roof cavity of the Manager’s Villa. The blind is an early roller blind, with gorgeous deep blue material for the blind. Its production can be traced to an exact date, 1915, one year before Shackleton arrived in Stromness.
Graffiti – Drawing of boat hidden within an external wall of the Villa. Throughout the whaling station there is graffiti all over. This exists not only from more recent adventures into the whaling stations, but from the whaling era itself. Within the building there were a number of places where graffiti was found. The most puzzling instance was from the late 19th century. Given that the Manager’s Villa was only built in the early 20th century, this seems a strange edition. Perhaps the board was recycled from somewhere else. Perhaps it was a birthday of someone, or maybe a prank!
This flensing knife blade was found in the Manager’s Villa and is a tangible link to the whaling process. Flensing knives were used to strip the blubber from whales, so it could be peeled back and cut into smaller pieces to be processed into oil. The knives were attached to long wooden handles for reach. Many of these blades were discarded around the whaling stations.
This linoleum was discovered to have been previously painted over. It covered the floor of the rear bedroom of the Villa. This lino could well have been a product of Nairn's of Kirkcaldy, Scotland – the world's centre of linoleum production.

The Villa is Saved

Thanks to generous donations it has been possible to stabilise Stromness Manger’s Villa. Hear from the team and see it for yourself in the video below. REFINE WHEN VID ADDED