Showing 48 items
matching whale oil
-
Federation University Historical Collection
Book, Diary of R.W. Richards, c1960
... that at times it was difficult to read the writing due to whale blubber... that at times it was difficult to read the writing due to whale blubber ...Dick Richards was a member of the Shackleton Trans Antarctic Expedition Ross Sea Shore Party. He later became Principal of the Ballarat School of Mines. The text for this book was typed by Ballarat School of Mines librarian Heather Durant, who remembered that at times it was difficult to read the writing due to whale blubber oil from the lamps on the paper. Heather was told that Dick Richards only started keeping the diary when ther became a chance the Ross Sea Shore Party may not survive. Heather remembered Dick Richards affectionately - he always carried a pipe and called her 'girlie'.Blue hard covered book of 14 pages. It is the verbatim copy of the diary kept by Dick Richards from 23 February 1916 to 19 March 1918, during the Shackleton trans-antarctic Expedition 1914-17.Bookplate inside cover - "Ex Libris School of Mines and industries. Presented by Mr R.W. Richards"ballarat school of mines, dick richards, r.w. richards, antarctica, shackleton, heather durant, diary, bookplate, ballarat school of mines bookplate, scott's hut, richard w. richards -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Bowl
... and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November... Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland ...According to Lloyd's Shipping Register 1837-1839, the CHILDREN was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London. London registered number 123/1837. James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered 1837”. Launceston registered number 6/1837. In 1838 the CHILDREN, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year (carrying a general cargo including the house bricks). On the 11th January 1839, the CHILDREN sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the CHILDREN “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th to “west force 10”, but too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The CHILDREN collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost (including 8 children). The Henty’s contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for the Henty’s, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Henty’s summarised their work over the previous six years of settlement: “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay…three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’…They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”. The shipwreck of the CHILDREN is of State significance ― Victorian Heritage Register S116Part of terracotta bowl from the wreck of the Children, 2 segments have been glued together.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, children -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Brick
... and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November... and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November ...According to Lloyds Shipping Register 1837-1839, the CHILDREN was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London. London registered number 123/1837. James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered 1837”. Launceston registered number 6/1837. In 1838 the CHILDREN, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year (carrying a general cargo including the house bricks). On the 11th January 1839, the CHILDREN sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the CHILDREN “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th to “west force 10”, but too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The CHILDREN collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost (including 8 children). The Hentys contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for the Henty’s, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Henty’s summarised their work over the previous six years of settlement: “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay…three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’…They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”. The shipwreck of the CHILDREN is of State significance ― Victorian Heritage Register S116Fired brick from the wreck of the Children, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, children -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Domestic object - Iron
... that were heated by fuels such as kerosene, ethanol, whale oil... such as kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas (acetylene ...Before the introduction of electricity, irons were heated by combustion, either in a fire or with some internal arrangement. An "electric flatiron" was invented by American Henry Seely White and patented on June 6, 1882. It weighed almost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and took a long time to heat. The UK Electricity Association is reported to have said that an electric iron with a carbon arc appeared in France in 1880, but this is considered doubtful. Two of the oldest sorts of iron were either containers filled with a burning substance, or solid lumps of metal which could be heated directly. Metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in China in the 1st century BC. A later design consisted of an iron box which could be filled with hot coals, which had to be periodically aerated by attaching a bellows. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were many irons in use that were heated by fuels such as kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas (acetylene, as with carbide lamps), or even gasoline. Some houses were equipped with a system of pipes for distributing natural gas or carbide gas to different rooms in order to operate appliances such as irons, in addition to lights. Despite the risk of fire, liquid-fuel irons were sold in U.S. rural areas up through World War II. In Kerala in India, burning coconut shells were used instead of charcoal, as they have a similar heating capacity. This method is still in use as a backup device, since power outages are frequent. Other box irons had heated metal inserts instead of hot coals. From the 17th century, sadirons or sad irons (from Middle English "sad", meaning "solid", used in English through the 1800s[4]) began to be used. They were thick slabs of cast iron, triangular and with a handle, heated in a fire or on a stove. These were also called flat irons. A laundry worker would employ a cluster of solid irons that were heated from a single source: As the iron currently in use cooled down, it could be quickly replaced by a hot one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothes_ironThis iron is typical of the clothes iron used before electric irons superseded it.Salter iron no. 6, painted black but with rust showing through. Salter iron no. 6.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, iron, clothes, laundry -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Kerosene Lamp Burner, Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company, Late 19th to early 20th century
... for the demise of whale oil as lamp fuel. Soon after Colonel Edwin Drake... for the demise of whale oil as lamp fuel. Soon after Colonel Edwin Drake ...Bradley and Hubbard established their company in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut when Nathaniel and William Bradley, Orson and Chitten Hatch, and Walter Hubbard, formed Bradley, Hatch & Company. This incarnation of the company only manufactured clocks. The Hatch brothers sold their interest in the company in 1854 and it was renamed, Bradley & Hubbard. Clocks remained the firm's primary product into the 1860s. In addition to their line of clocks, Bradley & Hubbard also produced a wide range of household items including match safes, call bells, andirons, urns, bookends, frames, desk accessories and vases. Technological advances in drilling and refining crude oil in the late 1850s and early 1860s paved the way for the demise of whale oil as lamp fuel. Soon after Colonel Edwin Drake struck oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1859, Nathaniel Bradley saw an opportunity to capitalize on the future of this new fuel. Nathaniel decided to produce an extensive line of kerosene burning lamps this proved to be a wise business decision. Kerosene was soon to become a widely used, safe and relatively inexpensive lamp fuel. Between April 7, 1868, and December 23, 1913, the company was listed as the assignee for at least 89 lighting patents. Many of these patents were for lamp and chandelier designs and various improvements in lamp burners. In 1875 the company reorganized to form the Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company. Walter Hubbard served as President and Nathaniel Bradley as Treasurer. The firm enjoyed rapid growth throughout the 1880s. By 1888, the company employed over one thousand workers and had showrooms in major cities including New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. One of the most prolific of the B&H products was the Rayo lamp it produced under contract for Standard Oil. In keeping with the changing times, Bradley & Hubbard produced a variety of electric lamps as well. Walter Hubbard passed away in 1911 and Nathaniel Bradley in 1915. The company continued through the 1930s and was purchased by the Charles Parker Company, also of Meriden, Connecticut, in 1940. The Parker Company was quite diversified in its product line, also producing an extensive line of lamps and high-end chandeliers. Parker operated its acquisition as the "Bradley & Hubbard Division." Parker ceased production of the Rayo lamp in the early 1950s. In 1973, the Bradley and Hubbard buildings were demolished, effectively ending that chapter in American lighting manufacture.Early innovation in kerosene lamp burner design by Bradley and Hubbard lamp manufacturers who at the turn of the 20th century were the biggest lamp producers in the world. The item is significant due to its historic connection with a major innovator of lamp design.Lamp Burner, metal container with turning screw for wick and mesh walls. Is made in 2 parts. Raised embossing on wick adjustment screw " PAT APPLIED FOR" on top of burner "B & H Patented.July.1.90.Nov.20.94"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, bradley & hubbard manufacturing company, kerosene lamp burner, early lighting -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Ceramic - Clay Bricks, Circa 1838
... and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November... Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland ...These bricks are a sample of “5000 house bricks from London” carried by the CHILDREN as ballast, and intended for the Portland Bay settlement of her owners Henty Bros. Flagstaff Hill divers recovered them from Childers Cove in February 1974, and noted, “These bricks are the major feature of the wreck site. Subsequent notes indicate “The hull structure has broken up, leaving few visible remains, except for piles of house bricks intended for the Hentys of Portland”. According to Lloyds Shipping Register 1837-1839, the CHILDREN was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London, London registered number 123/1837; James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered 1837”. Launceston registered number 6/1837; in 1838 the CHILDREN, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year (carrying general cargo including the house bricks). On the 11th of January 1839, the CHILDREN sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the CHILDREN “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane-force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th to “west force 10”, but too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The CHILDREN collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost (including 8 children). The Hentys contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for the Hentys, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Hentys summarised their work over the previous six years of settlement: “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay…three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’…They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”.These bricks are significant as a sample of 5000 house bricks carried from London as ballast by the Children and were intended for the Portland Bay settlement of her owners James Henty & Co. The CHILDREN was one of the first vessels to be lost in the Western District of Victoria, east of Warrnambool, on January 14th 1838, breaking up within twenty minutes. The wreck is also significant as one of the first vessels to have been lost in the Western District of Warrnambool and as such is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register S116.Five ‘house bricks from London’, some with white marine encrustation, recovered from the wreck of the ship CHILDREN. The bricks are oblong shaped and constructed of a blue-coloured and coarse-grained conglomerate. One brick is higher, shorter and narrower, than the other four bricks.Nonewarrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck artefact, maritime museum, london house bricks, children shipwreck, james henty and co, henty brothers, childers cove, early shipowreck -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Lamp, Probably second half of 19th century
... protruding from a small container of whale oil or vegetable oil... protruding from a small container of whale oil or vegetable oil ...OIL LAMPS Oil had been burnt in lamps at least since the Palaeolithic age, and the cheapest light fittings used in Victorian homes had changed little since then, with a simple wick protruding from a small container of whale oil or vegetable oil. However, much brighter and more sophisticated lamps had emerged late in the 18th century, the most important being the Argand oil lamp. This lamp had a broad flat wick held between two metal cylinders to form a circular wick, with air drawn through it and around it. This in itself was a revolutionary idea, but its inventor, Aimé Argand also discovered that by placing a tube or 'chimney' over the flame, the hot gases from the flame rose rapidly creating a draught and drawing air in from below. Fanned by a draught from both inside and outside the circular wick, the poor spluttering flame of early lamps was transformed into a bright, efficient light source (see illustration). The one disadvantage for the Argand oil lamp and its many imitators in the early Victorian period was that the best oil then available, colza, was so thick and viscous that it had to be fed to the wick either by gravity from a reservoir above, or pumped up from below. Most colza oil lamps have a reservoir often shaped like a classical urn to one side which in some fittings obstructed the light. The Sinumbra lamp got around the problem by having a circular reservoir around the base of the glass light shade. One of the most significant improvements of the Victorian period was the introduction of paraffin. Patented in 1850, the price of the new fuel fell dramatically following the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania, USA. As paraffin was much lighter than colza the reservoir could be placed below the flame, enabling many new designs of light fittings. One of the most successful paraffin lamps was the Duplex burner introduced in 1865 which had two wicks side by side and, like the Argand lamp, a clear glass chimney with air drawn from below. Most lamps also had a larger shade around the chimney often of opaque glass to diffuse the light. The shades or diffusers provided an opportunity for decoration, and a variety of shapes, colours and patterns were used. The amount of light which can be produced by a wick is limited by the surface area of the wick and the amount of fuel and air able to reach it. As fuel burns at the tip of the wick only. The gas mantle, on the other hand, provides a much larger three-dimensional surface, and is far more effective as a result. Invented by Carl Aur von Wesbach in 1885, the incandescent mantle was the last major breakthrough in oil and gas lighting of the period, before both succumbed to electric lighting. The mantle consists of a skirt of silk or cotton impregnated with a non-inflammable mixture (thorium and cerium), suspended over a fierce flame. When first ignited, the cotton burns away leaving fine, brittle filaments of non-combustible material in its place which glow white hot or 'incandescent'. The mantle works best with either gas or a fine mist of paraffin produced by a pressurised reservoir which is still widely used in camping lamps today, producing a bright, warm light to rival an electric bulb. https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/lighting/lighting.htm http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/stories/lighting/lighting4.html#:~:text=Oil%20had%20been%20burnt%20in,whale%20oil%20or%20vegetable%20oil.An item of great importance in any home before gas or electricity was available.Kerosene lamp, ceramic, with metal top and wick. Has handle at side and floral hand painting around the body. Glass cover. Metalwork is rusty.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, oil lamp, heating, lighting, ceramics -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Nail, circa 1825
... Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland... Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland ...Nails such as this solid copper nail were forged by blacksmiths. A nail of this length could have been used for the ship's decking. It was recovered from the shipwreck of the barque Children. The Children wrecking: The barque Children was one of the first vessels to be lost in the Western District the vessel was wrecked to the east of Warrnambool on 14th January 1838. When it ran ashore in hurricane-force winds, 22 passengers and crew were fortunate to escape being battered to death on the rocks. The Children broke up within 20 minutes, sweeping sixteen of those on board to their deaths. After eleven days, the survivors, all of whom were injured, were rescued and taken to Portland. According to Lloyd's Shipping Register 1837-1839, the Children was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London. Registration number 123/1837, James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered in 1837” at Launceston registered number 6/1837. In 1838 the Children, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year carrying a general cargo including house bricks used for ballast. On the 11th of January 1839, the Children sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the Children were “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane-force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th. However, it was too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The Children collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost including 8 children. The Henty brothers contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for James Henty and his brothers, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Henty’s summarised their work over the previous six years of establishing the Portland settlement stating. “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’ They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”.This nail is significant as part of the vessels original fixtures. The Children was delivering cargo intended for the Portland Bay settlement of her owners the James Henty brothers The wreck is also significant as one of the first vessels to have been lost in the Western District of Warrnambool. As a result the shipwreck of the Children is registered with the Victorian Heritage Register S116. Ship's nail, copper, with a washer attached. The nail has a round head, solid round shank and a flat end. It is bent, twisted and has indentations in the centre section. The nail was recovered from the wreck of the CHILDREN.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, shipwreck artefact, the children, nail, copper nail, ship's nail, children shipwreck -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Functional object - Urinal, circa 1825
... Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland... to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland ...It is probable that the urinal was situated in the forward part of the ship rather than the stern, being one of two placed on either side of the deck and housed immediately adjacent to the doors into for-castle, or crew sleeping quarters. The toilets on maritime vessels were (and still are) called the ‘heads’, after the sanitation arrangements common until the end of the eighteenth century. The name was given to the ‘head’ of the ship, forward of the forecastle and around the beak or bowsprit. These first lavatories were floored with grating or nets so the force of the sea could wash them clean, and they were always used on the lee or non-weather side so the effluent fell directly into the water rather than back on board. The Children wrecking: The barque Children was one of the first vessels to be lost in the Western District the vessel was wrecked to the east of Warrnambool on 14th January 1838. When it ran ashore in hurricane-force winds, 22 passengers and crew were fortunate to escape being battered to death on the rocks. The Children broke up within 20 minutes, sweeping sixteen of those on board to their deaths. After eleven days, the survivors, all of whom were injured, were rescued and taken to Portland. According to Lloyd's Shipping Register 1837-1839, the Children was built in 1825 at Liverpool and operated by owners Gordon & Co, of London. Registration number 123/1837, James Henty then bought her in 1837 as a three-masted barque of 254 tons, with a hull of “part pitch pine, felt sheathed” and “coppered in 1837” at Launceston registered number 6/1837. In 1838 the Children, under her master Captain H. Browne, completed a successful round trip from Launceston to London (carrying wool and whale oil loaded in Portland), returning in late November of that year carrying a general cargo including house bricks used for ballast. On the 11th of January 1839, the Children sailed from Launceston for Adelaide, with 24 passengers, 14 crew, and an awkward mixed cargo, including 1500 sheep, 8 bullocks, 7 horses, and farming implements, and six whaleboats with associated whaling gear. One account states that when the Children were “put out from port she was light and badly ballasted”. The vessel immediately encountered four days of hurricane-force storms, eventually clearing on the early morning of the 14th. However, it was too late to take accurate measurements of the sun or stars to establish their position relative to the coast. The Children collided with a limestone stack at the entrance of Childers Cove, and the seas smashed her into pieces within half an hour. All the cargo and 16 lives were lost including 8 children. The Henty brothers contributed £150 towards a fund for the 22 survivors at a memorial service held in Launceston later that year. It was a major financial setback for James Henty and his brothers, but one from which they recovered. In a submission to the Governor of New South Wales dated 24 March 1840, the Henty’s summarised their work over the previous six years of establishing the Portland settlement stating. “Six stations have been occupied, one at Portland Bay three at the open country about 60 miles inland called ‘Merino Downs’ They have erected two houses at Portland Bay and two others at Merino Downs”.This urinal is significant as part of the vessels original fittings he Children was delivering cargo intended for the Portland Bay settlement of her owners the James Henty brothers The wreck is also significant as one of the first vessels to have been lost in the Western District of Warrnambool. As a result the shipwreck of the Children is registered with the Victorian Heritage Register S116. A lead urinal with a rounded back at the top splash plate with an attached semi-circular receptacle or basin (20cm deep and projecting forward 30cm). At the sides are flanges with bolt holes connecting to a ship's wall. The urinal is drained by a funnel-shaped outlet also made of lead, reducing from a 10cm radius to a joined 5 cm pipe. The urinal was recovered from the wreck of the CHILDREN.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, shipwreck artefact, the children, lead ship’s plumbing, crew urinal, the ‘heads’, ship plumbing, james henty, portland bay, urinal, ship's urinal -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Weapon - Harpoon, Early to mid 19th Century
... resources derived from whales, oil for lighting, lubrication ...A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing, whaling, sealing and other marine hunting to catch large fish or marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal and securing it with barb or toggling claws, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the projectile to catch the animal. The earliest known harpoons, have been recorded as having been made and used 90,000 years ago. In the early whaling industry the two flue harpoon was the primary weapon used around the world. This two fluke harpoon tended to penetrate no deeper than the soft outer layer of a whales blubber. Thus it was often possible for the whale to escape by struggling or swimming away forcefully enough to pull the shallowly embedded barbs out backwards. This flaw was corrected in the early nineteenth century with the creation of the one fluke harpoon. By removing one of the flukes, the head of the harpoon was narrowed, making it easier for it to penetrate deep enough to hold fast. In the Arctic, the indigenous people used the more advanced toggling harpoon design and by the mid-19th century, the toggling harpoon was adapted by Lewis Temple, using iron. The Temple toggle was widely used, and quickly came to dominate the whaling industry around the world.A hand forged harpoon demonstrating the blacksmiths art for fashioning an item used during the early 19th century in the significant industry of whaling. Used during a time when the world depended on the natural resources derived from whales, oil for lighting, lubrication, margarine, candles, soaps and cosmetics as well as the use of the whales bones for various other items such as corsets, umbrellas,fertiliser and animal feed. The item is significant as it was probably made between 1820-1850 after which a single fluke and toggle harpoon began to be use extensively in the whaling industry. Also coming in to general use was a black powder gun to fire the harpoon rather than the early type that had to be manually thrown by a mariner from a row boat of which the subject item is an example.Hand forged double fluke steel whaling harpoon with an arrowhead tip atop a square shank that tapers to a narrow round shaft with a split metal cone to accommodate a wooden harpoon pole.Noneharpoon, whaling, whaling harpoon, fishing industry, whales, flukes, lewis temple, marine technology, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road -
Bass Coast Shire Council - Art Collection
Artwork, other - Girl and a Whale, Fiona Kennedy
AustraliaOil on canvasSigned -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Functional object - Try Pot, n.d
A try pot is a large pot used to remove and render the oil from blubber obtained from whales. The blubber would be placed into these pots and melted down for further use. Early on in the history of whaling, vessels had no means to process blubber at sea and had to bring it into port for processing.Indian pot, circular, painted flat black 2 handles located opposite each other. Wire loop between handles (perhaps not original) 5 circular 'ribs' cast in sides of pot. Believed to be used for drying whale blubber.Nonewhaling, industry, trypot -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Card - Cigarette Card - 'The Try Pots', 1927
No. 9 in a series of 25 cigarette cards from Ogdens Tobacco Company series on whaling production. Full colour depiction of crewmen working at try pots, where the whale blubber was heated to extract the oil. White border round card. Reverse has information relating to illustration on front. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Card - Cigarette Card - "Trying Out', 1927
No. 14 in a series of 25 cigarette cards from Ogdens Tobacco Company series on whaling production. Full colour depiction of crew members 'trying out' (i.e.) cutting the blubber from the whale, prior to extracting the oil from it. White border around cards. Reverse has information relating to illustration on front. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Artwork, other - Scrimshaw Whales Tooth, n.d
Polished scrimshaw whale's tooth depicting a traditional whaling scene on one side and on reverse, labelled 'Portland 700 tons of oil harvested', inscribed with date '1836. -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Tool - Whaler's blubber fork, n.d
City of Portland Collection|Kurtze Museum|19/4/2000. Once a whale was killed and its blubber was cut up and hauled aboard the ship for processing, the chunks of flesh were moved around the slippery vessel with long-handled, two-tined blubber forks. These forks were used to pitch the pieces of minced blubber into the hot try-pots to boil it down into oil. The long handles prevented sore backs from too much bending over and protected the men from getting too close to the boiling oil. (taken from Smithsonian Museum)WhalingTwo pronged utensil, painted with glossy black paint. An attempt to repair handle, short stem of handle rivetted onto handle sleeve.whaling, whaling tools -
Merri-bek City Council
Work on paper - Screen print, Wendy Black, Declare Antarctica a World Park - Whale, 1982
The 1980s saw a rise in campaigns for Antarctica to be designated a World Park. Black’s screenprints celebrate the creatures of the continent, however invocations such as ‘protect Antarctica from all mineral and oil exploration and exploitation’ remind the viewer that these creatures are in peril. Black printed 500 of these postcards (described as ‘Antarcticards’) at the Redletter Press in Brunswick and they were distributed around the world, reaching as far as Macquarie and Heard Islands. The campaigning was successful, with Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke announcing that Australia would not support an agreement that would open the Australian Antarctic Territory up to mining and oil drilling.Donated by the artist8 prints in total -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Vehicle - Vessel - Whaleboat, Flagstaff Hill Boat Builders, 1989
... , including southwest Victoria. The whales were hunted for their oil ...The Huon Pine whaleboat was made on site by the boat builders at Flagstaff Hill in1989, of the clinker-planked construction method. Whaling was carried out in the 1790s up until the 1970s in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Australia, including southwest Victoria. The whales were hunted for their oil, baleen, meat and other products. It was a lucrative but very dangerous occupation. The small whaleboats with their five crew members were easy to maneuver but also easily overturned by a writhing whale. The Southern Right whales had desirable attributes; they came close to shore, they were slow swimmers and they floated when dead - hence the name 'Right' describing the right whale to hunt. The whale population was greatly reduced until 1979 when the Australian government prohibited whaling. These whales still visit the area annually to breed in the shallow bays along what is now called the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria. The whaleboat represents a significant time in Australia between the 1790s and 1979, when the whaling trade was carried in this area, and around Australia, providing employment and meeting the demand for whale oil, meat and other products. A time during which the population of whales was greatly depleted. Australian whaleboat; a long narrow vessel constructed of clinker-planked Huon Pine timber. It has provision for a crew of 5five oarsmen and a sweep or helmsman. Made in 1989.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, whaleboat, vessel, clinker built, huon pine whaleboat, whaling, whaleling industry