The Antarctic gateway cities occupy a central role in providing access to Antarctica for people and goods. Located in the periphery of the Antarctic region, the gateways have developed many connections with the Southern Continent and, in general, they concentrate the polar political, economic and cultural associations of their host countries. This thesis seeks to explore the connections between people, ideas and knowledge in the cities of Cape Town (South Africa), Christchurch (New Zealand), Hobart (Australia), Punta Arenas (Chile) and Ushuaia (Argentina) and the Antarctic region, and to understand how these polar associations may influence gateway citizens in the construction of their identity. Central to these discussions is the influence Antarctic geopolitical agendas of the countries hosting the gateway cities have on their, and their citizens’, connections with Antarctica.

Four of the five gateways are regional cities within Antarctic claimant countries. Due largely to coincidence of geography and politics, these cities occupy the role of Antarctic gateways, and receive national and international recognition of hosting associated polar agencies, as well as the economic benefits from the business generated by movement to and from Antarctica. Conversely, the South African gateway presents a distinctive case from the others; based in a non-claimant country and with historic internal power struggles, the largest of all gateways relates differently to Antarctica.

This research employed qualitative methods and followed the principles of Constructivist Grounded Theory. Thirty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted in the Antarctic gateways, supported by non-participant observation, extant texts, and photographs obtained in each city. Data analysis was assisted by scholarly literature on identity, nationalism, place attachment, values, and cultural representations of Antarctica.

The findings of this thesis indicate that Antarctica is a powerful place that inspires significant and long-lasting connections with people, to the extent of influencing personal and social identities. Antarctica appeals to individuals from a socio-cultural perspective, which inspires emotional responses for conservation advocacy and protection. Yet, the values ascribed to Antarctica and actions taken for its protection reflect nationalistic discourses and geopolitical influences.

This research found that gateway communities do not have a common identity with Antarctica. However, some individuals in these communities have strong personal connections to Antarctica, although these have not been formed as a result of them residing in an Antarctic gateway city. The many and varied connections that the gateways maintain with Antarctica are not sufficient to support the construction of an identity with the Antarctic. In fact, gateway community members are often unaware of these connections, or actively contest or resist them. Moreover, this research identified that geopolitical influence, socio-economic inequalities, race politics, and colonialist cultural representations of Antarctica affect how people from the gateways perceive, and connect, with Antarctica.

This thesis attempts to address the gaps of knowledge in Antarctic gateways and human engagements with Antarctica. It explores the impacts of socio-cultural representations and popular geopolitics of the southern polar region in the gateways communities. In addition, it examines the influence of policy, economic interests, territorial claims, entrenched nationalism, and place attachment in and with Antarctica. This thesis revisits the historical, contemporary, economic, and cultural perspectives of each gateway city, and argues that without the geopolitical interests and territorial assertions in Antarctica of their host countries, the gateways themselves have little influence and power in Antarctic matters. However, this research argues that the role of the gateways within the international polar community goes beyond the transport logistics function and generator of local revenue, and suggests that a council of Antarctic gateways could have a place within the Antarctic Treaty System in an Expert Group capacity.

This thesis also reveals that the common use of the concept of Antarctic gateway is unclear and limited to transportational facilities and services only, and proposes a new definition grounded on the multifaceted associations that the cities maintain with Antarctica. The Antarctic gateway is (re)defined here as the following:
A city located within close proximity to the Antarctic region, culturally connected with the South, host to a dynamic community where knowledge of Antarctic science, policy, management, technology, and logistics is manifested in everyday activities, and having the necessary transport network and infrastructure to offer comprehensive access to Antarctica, and, in return, to benefit from its polar linkages.

Finally, findings from this thesis indicate that Antarctica is an unattainable place for some members of the communities at the gateways. Antarctic is seen as a region reserved only for the privileged. This work discusses the value of popularizing Antarctic education at the gateways, and proposes rethinking the approach to Antarctic experiences and knowledge (e.g. academic, scientific, and policy) beyond the traditional boundaries on wealth, language and geopolitics, to include the communities of the cities closely connected with Antarctica.