PRESIDENT CLINTON VISIT TO THE CHRISTCHURCH INTERNATIONAL ANTARCTIC CENTRE AND OPERATION DEEPFREEZE.
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President William Jefferson Clinton of the USA became the first US President to visit the American Antarctic Deep Freeze Base in Christchurch when he paid an official visit on the 15th September 1999. He spent some time visiting the base, meeting various personnel, touring the nearby International Antarctic Centre and also speaking via an Internet link to US Antarctic programme personnel serving at the American main Antarctic Base at McMurdo. Following this he made a major speach on the environment and the Antarctic to a audience of 5,000 people at the centre and live on television throughout New Zealand. |
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President Clinton at left giving his public address at the Christchurch International Antarctic Centre on 15 September 1999. |
CLINTON 1. 1999 (15th September) Official Antarctic Centre envelope with design for visit. Price US$5
CLINTON 2. 1999 (15th September) Postcard with design for visit. Price US$4
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The photo at left shows President Clinton shaking hands with the New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley while the noted Antarctic explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary looks on. |
The photo at right shows President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton wearing Antarctic snowsuits to tour the Antarctic Centres "Antarctic Experience" |
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CLINTON 3. 1999 (15th September) Postcard from Operation DeepFreeze Post Office Price US$5
This is the back or picture side of the above postcard. It shows a pair of Adelie penguins.
CLINTON 4. 1999 (15th September) Postcard from Deepfreeze Base Price US$5
Note: The above postcard has a different Deep freeze cachet at lower left. The picture on the back is also different. It shows a Gentoo Penguin as shown below.
This photo shows "Air Force One" on the tarmac outside of the United States Antarctic Programme buildings at Christchurch International Airport. The International Antarctic Centre is just behind these buildings. The Clinton visit saw two of these "Air Force One" Boeing 747 aircraft at Christchurch.
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