The importance of Australia taking an active interest in her Antarctic Dependencies was strongly urged by Sir Douglas Mawson for several years before the war. Support by the government of the day was evidenced by the fact that the Wyatt Earp was purchased from Lincoln Ellsworth after his return from the Antarctic in 1939, the express intention being to use her for further Antarctic operations. No firm plans, however, were made, and with the gathering war clouds in Europe the idea of an Australian expedition to the Antarctic was temporarily deferred.