Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Hillary was the first New Zealander to reach the South Pole overland. New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) of 1958–59; named the Mountaineer Range. United States Operation Deep Freeze starts, based in Christchurch. 1959 1 December Antarctic Treaty signed with other countries involved in scientific exploration in Antarctica. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) established an Antarctic Division. 1960s 1964 January Walter Nash becomes the first Prime Minister of New Zealand to visit Antarctica. Hallett Station destroyed by fire. It is not rebuilt but is used as a summer-only base until 1973. 1965 The first flight from New Zealand to Antarctica made by a Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 (Hercules) aircraft 1968 Marie Darby becomes first New Zealand woman to visit the Antarctic 1969 New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) of 1969–70; visited the Scott Glacier and named Marble Peak and Surprise Spur. 12 November South Pole visited for the first time by women – four Americans, an Australian, and New Zealander Pamela Young Vanda Station manned for the first time 1970s 1970 Antarctic Amendment Act comes into force. 1972–1974 First solo voyage to Antarctica, by New Zealand-born yachtsman and author David Lewis 1974 December Joint NZ-France expedition makes first ascent, and descent into crater, of Mount Erebus. Antarctic Museum Centre opened at Canterbury Museum in Christchurch. 1975 Prime Minister Bill Rowling had a formal proposal made at the Oslo Meeting for Antarctic to be declared a World Park. 1976 Thelma Rogers, of New Zealand's DSIR, becomes the first woman to winter over on Antarctica. 1977 New Zealand proclaims Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles (370 km), which provides for the zone to also include Ross Dependency's waters. 1978 21st Anniversary of Scott Base 1979 The Mount Erebus disaster: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes and 257 people die. 1980s 1980 New Zealand is signatory to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which comes into effect in 1982. 1982 20 January Rob Muldoon becomes the first sitting Prime Minister of New Zealand to visit Antarctica. June Antarctic Treaty nations meet in Wellington to discuss the exploitation of Antarctica's minerals. 1987 Closure of Scott Base Post Office (reopened in 1994) 1990s 1995 Closure of Vanda Station 1996 Antarctica New Zealand established on 1 July to manage the Government's interest in Antarctica. 2000s 2006 October (to January 2007): New