Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 21, 2026

Derek and Petra Searle

Derek John Hatherall Searle and Petra Leay Searle are a British couple known for surveying British Overseas Territories and Antarctica in the mid-20th Century. Derek, a photographer and map librarian worked on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition, and Petra worked for Ordnance Survey International, mapping South Georgia.

Last revised
Jul 21, 2026
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Petra Leay Searle
Born(1928-12-02)2 December 1928
Exeter, Devon
CitizenshipBritish

Derek John Hatherall Searle (born Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, 1928 – 12 September 2003, Norwich)1 and Petra Leay Searle (born Exeter, Devon, 2 December 1928) are a British couple known for surveying British Overseas Territories and Antarctica in the mid-20th Century.2 Derek, a photographer and map librarian worked on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition,34 and Petra worked for Ordnance Survey International, mapping South Georgia.5

The Leay Glacier off the coast of Graham Land, Antarctica is named after Petra.2 Mount Searle on Antartica's Horseshoe Island is named after Derek.6

References

References

  1. Hattersley-Smith, Geoffrey (2004). "Obituary" (PDF). Polar Record. 40 (214). United Kingdom: 279–280. doi:10.1017/S003224740400381X.
  2. "Leay Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  3. "The Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, 1958–59". Polar Record. 10 (67): 391–396. 1961. doi:10.1017/S0032247400051627.
  4. Searle, D. (1961). "The compilation of a reconnaissance map of Alexander Land, Antarctica, from trimetorgon air photographs". Empire Survey Review (119): 1–13.
  5. Bomford, Tony (September 1999). "MAPPING SOUTH GEORGIA 1955 - 56" (PDF). The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Geomatics: 25 – via FIG.net.
  6. "Mount Searle". AAD.gov.au. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
External links
  • Transcript of interview with Petra from November 2009