Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Printed magazinesFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Parent Record for Archive collection of photographs, documents, minutes etc relating to the Nature Notes and Probe magazines published by the Ringwood Electorate State/Primary SchoolsFrom “The History of Ringwood East Primary School 1924-1990” 'Nature Notes' was a children's nature magazine, produced at Ringwood East Primary School for approximately 10 years. It came to us from Blackburn Lake Primary School and before that Blackburn South Primary School. It was originally developed by Harry Hopkins in 1964. He was a District Inspector of schools and also President of the Gould League at the time. Fred Rodgers and Len Delacca were original contributors, Fred writing on native flora and Len writing on native flora [fauna]. It came to Ringwood East in 1975 with Keith Dyer, a teacher on the staff, as editor. The magazine had a large circulation, supplying to schools, private subscribers and societies as well as sending many complimentary copies to libraries, and museums; distribution was throughout Australia. The Magazine continued to grow under consequent editors, Anne Gibson (who also developed 'Probe' a junior version of 'Nature Notes' designed for grades 2 and 4), Barry Archibald, Colin Bull, Russell Hall, Deborah Brydon and Mandy Charmichael. The editors would research, compile, edit and print the magazine which was a monthly issue. The parents would then come in on a Monday to collate, fold and staple. This usually was a morning’s work but this depended on how many helping hands there were. The Wednesday was packing and posting day and in the early days the parents used to deliver the local orders to save costs. Subscribers were sought through advertisements in various school literature and material. The Parents Club received an annual remuneration for their hard work and in turn were able to help purchase many items needed throughout the school. These magazines were packed with really good nature information and taught children how to look after their environment using articles, puzzles, riddles, questions and quizzes. There were special characters as well like 'Wally the Wombat' and 'Ernie the Echidna' for the children to follow on various adventures every month. Children would enjoy watching them crop up in each edition. The magazine stayed with us at Ringwood East until 1986, when due to restructuring and various other things was moved to Healesville Sanctuary where it adopted a new format and name. From here it has since folded and so the end of 'Nature Notes'. 'Nature Notes' was a very successful magazine. Many people through the years devoted a lot of time and energy to its production and readers throughout Australia, as well as its many creators and producers during its 20-year existence, mourn its passing. Written from material supplied by Barry Archibald (editor 'Nature Notes' 1977-78) Margaret Preece & Lois Aders (parents in charge of collating and packaging during its last years of existence.

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone in two pieces. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070. Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone vertebrae. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone piece. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale rib bone with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by brittleness. None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone was an important commodity, used in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and toys.Whale bone vertebrae. Advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whalebone

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Whalebone The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The bone of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as whalebone. Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale bone Vertebrae with advanced stage of calcification as indicated by deep pitting. Off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone

Prior to carrying out a detailed condition report of the cetacean skeletons, it is useful to have an understanding of the materials we are likely to encounter, in terms of structure and chemistry. This entry invites you to join in learning about the composition of whale bone and oil. Whale bone (Cetacean) bone is comprised of a composite structure of both an inorganic matrix of mainly hydroxylapatite (a calcium phosphate mineral), providing strength and rigidity, as well as an organic protein ‘scaffolding’ of mainly collagen, facilitating growth and repair (O’Connor 2008, CCI 2010). Collagen is also the structural protein component in cartilage between the whale vertebrae and attached to the fins of both the Killer Whale and the Dolphin. Relative proportions in the bone composition (affecting density), are linked with the feeding habits and mechanical stresses typically endured by bones of particular whale types. A Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758) skeleton (toothed) thus has a higher mineral value (~67%) than a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus, 1758) (baleen) (~60%) (Turner Walker 2012). The internal structure of bone can be divided into compact and cancellous bone. In whales, load-bearing structures such as mandibles and upper limb bones (e.g. humerus, sternum) are largely composed of compact bone (Turner Walker 2012). This consists of lamella concentrically deposited around the longitudinal axis and is permeated by fluid carrying channels (O’Connor 2008). Cancellous (spongy) bone, with a highly porous angular network of trabeculae, is less stiff and thus found in whale ribs and vertebrae (Turner Walker 2012). Whale oil Whales not only carry a thick layer of fat (blubber) in the soft tissue of their body for heat insulation and as a food store while they are alive, but also hold large oil (lipid) reserves in their porous bones. Following maceration of the whale skeleton after death to remove the soft tissue, the bones retain a high lipid content (Higgs et. al 2010). Particularly bones with a spongy (porous) structure have a high capacity to hold oil-rich marrow. Comparative data of various whale species suggests the skull, particularly the cranium and mandible bones are particularly oil rich. Along the vertebral column, the lipid content is reduced, particularly in the thoracic vertebrae (~10-25%), yet greatly increases from the lumbar to the caudal vertebrae (~40-55%). The chest area (scapula, sternum and ribs) show a mid-range lipid content (~15-30%), with vertically orientated ribs being more heavily soaked lower down (Turner Walker 2012, Higgs et. al 2010). Whale oil is largely composed of triglycerides (molecules of fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule). In Arctic whales a higher proportion of unsaturated, versus saturated fatty acids make up the lipid. Unsaturated fatty acids (with double or triple carbon bonds causing chain kinks, preventing close packing (solidifying) of molecules), are more likely to be liquid (oil), versus solid (fat) at room temperature (Smith and March 2007). Objects Made From the Whaling Industry We all know that men set forth in sailing ships and risked their lives to harpoon whales on the open seas throughout the 1800s. And while Moby Dick and other tales have made whaling stories immortal, people today generally don't appreciate that the whalers were part of a well-organized industry. The ships that set out from ports in New England roamed as far as the Pacific in hunt of specific species of whales. Adventure may have been the draw for some whalers, but for the captains who owned whaling ships, and the investors which financed voyages, there was a considerable monetary payoff. The gigantic carcasses of whales were chopped and boiled down and turned into products such as the fine oil needed to lubricate increasing advanced machine tools. And beyond the oil derived from whales, even their bones, in an era before the invention of plastic, was used to make a wide variety of consumer goods. In short, whales were a valuable natural resource the same as wood, minerals, or petroleum we now pump from the ground. Oil From Whale’s Blubber Oil was the main product sought from whales, and it was used to lubricate machinery and to provide illumination by burning it in lamps. When a whale was killed, it was towed to the ship and its blubber, the thick insulating fat under its skin, would be peeled and cut from its carcass in a process known as “flensing.” The blubber was minced into chunks and boiled in large vats on board the whaling ship, producing oil. The oil taken from whale blubber was packaged in casks and transported back to the whaling ship’s home port (such as New Bedford, Massachusetts, the busiest American whaling port in the mid-1800s). From the ports it would be sold and transported across the country and would find its way into a huge variety of products. Whale oil, in addition to be used for lubrication and illumination, was also used to manufacture soaps, paint, and varnish. Whale oil was also utilized in some processes used to manufacture textiles and rope. Spermaceti, a Highly Regarded Oil A peculiar oil found in the head of the sperm whale, spermaceti, was highly prized. The oil was waxy, and was commonly used in making candles. In fact, candles made of spermaceti were considered the best in the world, producing a bright clear flame without an excess of smoke. Spermaceti was also used, distilled in liquid form, as an oil to fuel lamps. The main American whaling port, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was thus known as "The City That Lit the World." When John Adams was the ambassador to Great Britain before serving as president he recorded in his diary a conversation about spermaceti he had with the British Prime Minister William Pitt. Adams, keen to promote the New England whaling industry, was trying to convince the British to import spermaceti sold by American whalers, which the British could use to fuel street lamps. The British were not interested. In his diary, Adams wrote that he told Pitt, “the fat of the spermaceti whale gives the clearest and most beautiful flame of any substance that is known in nature, and we are surprised you prefer darkness, and consequent robberies, burglaries, and murders in your streets to receiving as a remittance our spermaceti oil.” Despite the failed sales pitch John Adams made in the late 1700s, the American whaling industry boomed in the early to mid-1800s. And spermaceti was a major component of that success. Spermaceti could be refined into a lubricant that was ideal for precision machinery. The machine tools that made the growth of industry possible in the United States were lubricated, and essentially made possible, by oil derived from spermaceti. Baleen, or "Whalebone" The bones and teeth of various species of whales were used in a number of products, many of them common implements in a 19th century household. Whales are said to have produced “the plastic of the 1800s.” The "bone" of the whale which was most commonly used wasn’t technically a bone, it was baleen, a hard material arrayed in large plates, like gigantic combs, in the mouths of some species of whales. The purpose of the baleen is to act as a sieve, catching tiny organisms in sea water, which the whale consumes as food. As baleen was tough yet flexible, it could be used in a number of practical applications. And it became commonly known as "whalebone." Perhaps the most common use of whalebone was in the manufacture of corsets, which fashionable ladies in the 1800s wore to compress their waistlines. One typical corset advertisement from the 1800s proudly proclaims, “Real Whalebone Only Used.” Whalebone was also used for collar stays, buggy whips, and toys. Its remarkable flexibility even caused it to be used as the springs in early typewriters. The comparison to plastic is apt. Think of common items which today might be made of plastic, and it's likely that similar items in the 1800s would have been made of whalebone. Baleen whales do not have teeth. But the teeth of other whales, such as the sperm whale, would be used as ivory in such products as chess pieces, piano keys, or the handles of walking sticks. Pieces of scrimshaw, or carved whale's teeth, would probably be the best remembered use of whale's teeth. However, the carved teeth were created to pass the time on whaling voyages and were never a mass production item. Their relative rarity, of course, is why genuine pieces of 19th century scrimshaw are considered to be valuable collectibles today. Reference: McNamara, Robert. "Objects Made From the Whaling Industry." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/products-produced-from-whales-1774070.Whale bone during the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was an important industry providing an important commodity. Whales from these times provided everything from lighting & machine oils to using the animal's bones for use in corsets, collar stays, buggy whips, and many other everyday items then in use.Whale jaw bone one side, long & curved with advanced stage of calcification off white to grey.None.warrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, whale bones, whale skeleton, whales, whale bone, corsets, toys, whips, whaleling industry, maritime fishing, whalebone

These images capture for all time Light Horsemen travelling through Geelong on their way to camp at Torquay for the last Group meeting in Australia . information following - details obtained from .........https://torquayhistory.com/light-horse-brigade/ On Australia Day, 1997, Sir John Young unveiled this plaque on Point Danger, Torquay. Torquay history, Light Horse Training Camp, WW2 Plaque at Pt. Danger Note----- (See images to view plaque) The plaque identifies a significant event in Torquay’s history and the sentiments of ‘change’ for the Light Horse Brigade – from horses to machines. In 1940 the four Light Horse Regiments (4th, 8th, 13th and 20th), some 5000 Light Horse and 2000 horses camped and trained at Torquay. Three other regiments, formerly mounted on horses, were also at Torquay ‘mounted’ on privately owned trucks and cars. Division troops included Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Field Ambulance and other branches of the Army necessary to enable a Division to function. It wasn’t just the sheer numbers of men coming to this little town that made the event significant, it was also the fact that the men of the Light Horse were dramatic, almost glamorous figures and it is easy to see their exploits as some splendid adventure. Horses have played a special role in the story of Australia. They were the only means of transport across this huge country, so it was necessary for everyone to have the ability to ride a horse. When war broke out in 1899 between Britain and the Boers of South Africa (“Boer” was Dutch for “farmer”) Australia sent troops to fight. At first Britain was wary of using untried, unprofessional colonial cavalrymen but soon saw that the slouch-hatted Australian “bushmen” were a match for the fast-moving and unconventional mounted commandos of the Boers. The Australians proved themselves to be expert rough-riding horsemen and good shots. Bush life had hardened them to go for long periods with little food and water. They also showed remarkable ability to find their way in a strange country and use its features for cover, in both attack and defence. By 1914, when Australia joined the war against Germany, there were 23 Light Horse regiments of militia volunteers. Many men from these units joined the Light Horse regiments of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Men were given remounts (if not using their own horses) – army horses bought by Commonwealth purchasing officers from graziers and breeders. These were called “walers” because they were a New South Wales stockhorse type – strong, great-hearted animals with the strains of the thoroughbred and semi-draught to give them speed, strength and stamina. On 1st November, 1914, Australia’s First Infantry Division and the first four Light Horse regiments sailed for England in a fleet of transport ships. The first of the Light Horse arrived at Gallipoli in May without their horses. Back with their horses after Gallipoli, they were formidable combatants across the Sinai and Palestine. Some British commanders observed that the light horseman moved with a “lazy, slouching gait, like that of a sleepy tiger” but described how the promise of battle “changes that careless gait, into a live athletic swing that takes him over the ground much quicker than other troops”. They had Light Horse, Torquay, training campdeveloped a reputation as formidable infantrymen. The Turks called them “the White Ghurkas” – a reference to their deadly skill with the bayonet. The Arabs called them “The Kings of the Feathers”. The plume had originally been a battle honour of the Queensland Mounted Infantry for their work in the shearer’s strike of 1891. During WW1 it was adopted by almost all the Light Horse Regiments. It was the proud badge of the light horseman. The most famous of their battles was the attack on Beersheba- the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. Mounted infantrymen and their superb walers had carried out one of the most successful cavalry charges in history – against what seemed impossible odds. They surprised the Turks by charging cavalry-style, when they would normally have ridden close to an objective then dismounted to fight. The fall of Beersheba swung the battle tide against the Turks in Palestine; and changed the history of the Middle East. While 19 men from the Surf Coast Shire served with the 4th Light Horse over the course of WW1, only four were involved in the charge of Beersheba- John GAYLARD, Philip QUINN.(Winchelsea); Wallace FINDLAY (Anglesea); Harry TRIGG (Bambra). After the war, Light Horse units played a key role in the Australian Government’s compulsory military training programme. The Citizen Military Forces (C.M.F.) thrived on the glamour of the wartime Light Horse tradition, ignoring the possibility that motor vehicles would soon replace the horses. When training was no longer compulsory, the C.M.F. regiments declined and horses became more of a luxury during the 1930s depression years of poverty and unemployment. Some regiments were motorised. Then, in 1939, Australia joined Britain in another world war. Training was increased for the militia at both home bases and regional training camps. The camp at Torquay in 1940, commanded by Major General Rankin, was at Divisional strength. By the end of the camp some felt that the Division was ready for active service. Gradually, over the next four years, the Australian Light Horse units were mounted on wheels and tracks and the horses were retired. Six men enlisted at the Torquay camp and another 57 men and women enlisted at Torquay for service in WW2. Those who served in the Militia provided valuable Officers and NCOs and men for the armed services during the war. Each infantry division of the 2nd AIF had a Light Horse regiment attached to it. But the day of the Australian mounted soldier hadn’t quite passed. During World War II, Australia’s 6th Cavalry Regiment formed a mounted unit they called “The Kelly Gang” which did valuable scouting work. In New Guinea, a mounted Light Horse Troop did patrol duty and helped carry supplies. Some fully equipped walers were flown into Borneo for reconnaissance in rugged mountain country. But by the end of the war, in 1945, the horse had disappeared from the Australian Army. References: Australian Light Horse Association www.lighthorse.org.au National Australia Archives Australian War Memorial Surf Coast Shire WW1 memorials www.togethertheyserved.com The Light horse- a Cavalry under Canvas Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Late in 1939 it was decided to set up a Lighthorse training camp in Torquay to train both men and horses for the battles of the Second World War. Horses, men and equipment came on special trains from all over Victoria and NSW, and as you would expect horseman came from areas such as Omeo and Sale, the Wimmera and the Western District. They arrived at the Geelong racecourse for watering in the Barwon River and then were ridden across the ford at the breakwater and began their 11 mile trek to Torquay. Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2 Tent city By the end of January 1940 the camp at Torquay accommodated some 5000 men and 2500 horses of the Second Cavalry Division. The rows of horses, tents and huts near Blackgate Road were quite a sight. While the cavalrymen engaged in exercises on the land and on the beaches, many of the troops took over the Torquay School for special training of men and officers. Mr Bob Pettit local farmer and Councillor for the Barrabool Shire, wrote about the Light horse in the Surf Coast Community News in 1985 saying “They used to travel about the district riding four abreast in one long convoy. To my annoyance they went through my property and shut all the gates behind them. I had certain gates open to let stock in to the water holes and it would take me three -quarters of an hour to follow the horsemen up and put all the gates right again” he continued “the men from the Light Horse were here when the fire went through in March 1940. He recalled an incident when early one morning, as some one blew the bugle, a soldier putting a white sheet on the line frightened the horses. They panicked and ran off in all directions. Six went over the cliff near Bird Rock, five were never found, and the rest were gathered up after nearly a fortnight in the bush around Addiscott and Anglesea" Light Horse, Training Camp, Torquay, WW2, Geelong Parade Geelong parade The training camp culminated in a parade through the streets of Geelong on March 12th 1940. The salute was given at the Town Hall and the troops continued on a route to the You Yang’s for a training exercise. Note-----(see media section for photograph) The Camp was abandoned in mid 1940 as it was deemed unsuitable for training during winter and the cost of a permanent camp could not be justified if it could not be used all year. Historic.......Rare,,,Interpretive.Sepia photographs.set of four ....post card size ....Horses &LighthorsemenNo 1, Lighthorsemen Regiment Geelong 1940......No 2 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940....No 3 Light Horse at Breakwater Geelong 1938 to 1940.....No 4 Light Horse crossing Breakwater camped at Geelong Showgrounds. These markings are on reverse of photographs.light horsemengeelong 1940., world war 2