Colonial Whaling in Tasmania: Fueling the Tasmanian Economy

William Duke: Offshore Whaling with Aladdin and Jane

Shiploads of Money:

The industrialization of Hobart and the development of Tasmania into a more modern and
technologically adapted state can be attributed to the people who lived there and their actions as
economic consumers and providers. A prime example of this is the industry of shore-based whaling,
from its rise in the 1820s, through its reign until the 1840s. Whaling in colonial society has been a
common practice over a myriad of regions that were colonized by the British throughout history. This is
true of Australia, with the whaling industry taking to coastal regions, especially in Western Australia,
South Australia and Tasmania. This whaling industry popularized throughout Tasmania, as the rise of
whaling vessels, stations and maritime exports increased from the period of the 1820s onward. The
significance of the shore-based whaling industry in Tasmania relates to the scope of income that it
brought with it. In examining different aspects of the establishment of this industry, the whales and
whaling, and the two prominent whaling methods, an understanding of the significance of the shore-
based whaling industry during this period can be uncovered.

The Industry, The people:

The whaling industry provided much of the wealth that was available throughout its period of
prominence, gaining momentum during the mid to late 1820s. This boom saw a large increase in Hobart-
Town populations, an example of a location where whaling set the foundations for colonial affluencei.
Income was available for those who took to whaling, including the men of the working class and even
those with convict lineage were able to participate and profit from whaling activities. Aboard whaling
vessels and at whaling stations, the employment of Aboriginal men was also seen in some cases
throughout this period. The Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania endured horrific circumstances and unjust
treatment at the hands of colonizers. Russell explores the
Indigenous involvement in whaling as an “enterprise and
entrepreneurship, of Aboriginal Australian people seizing the
opportunity to profit from participation in the colonial
economy and pursuing life at sea as sealers and whalers”ii.
These whaling opportunities provided the poor with jobs and
created wealth for some of the vessel and station owners
within the whaling industry. One of the prominent figures in
the industry in Tasmania was a man named James Kelly. The
son of a convict settler, Kelly was referred to as a ‘currency
lad’. This meant that he was one of the first generation “white
people born on Australian soil”iii, due to his convict lineage.
Kelly participated in sealing and whaling from a young age,
establishing himself as a key and prominent figure in Tasmania

in 1814iv. Captain James Kelly owned whaling ships and established stations,
Captain James Kelly
such as those located at Adventure Bay and Lagoon Bayv. Primarily, these
more suitable locations for whaling stations were “claimed by the most knowledgeable of the whalers
such as James Kelly”vi, suggestive of both the knowledge these whalers had, and an insight into the
reasons for their prosperity at this time. Though James Kelly is not the only important figure in the
history of Tasmania and whaling, his story links greatly to the narrative and changes of whaling in
Tasmaniavii.
Whales and Whaling:

The popularity and prominence of

whaling comes from the economic
value of the products that this whaling
created. This is also interlinked with
the import and export of whaling
products and by-products. These
products were harvested from the
Southern Right Whale
whales caught on the coasts of
Tasmania. The targeted species here
was the Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis), which can grow to a maximum of 17.5 meters in
length and can weigh approximately 80,000 kilogramsviii. The Southern Right Whale will on average have
one calf every three years, with gestation periods lasting 12 monthsix. Understanding the gestation
period for these whales is important as it informs of the rate at which populations can produce offspring
and increase these populations. The Southern Right Whale provided a wide range of products that
created the reason that whaling became popular throughout this period of time. These products
included the meat, blubber, oils (from blubber and other body parts), and baleen (or whalebone). The
meat of the whales was used for human consumption, with meat and bone meal that could be used for
fertilisersx. Whale oil was utilized for purposes of lamp lighting, making lard, soap and was even used in
“varnishes and in the manufacture of linoleum and printing ink”xi. Baleen was utilized across a broad
scope of crafts, including fashion (for corset structure), fishing (rod and pole material), and in some
cases used for furniture. The most significant of these, other than the meat production, was the whale
oil and the baleen harvested from the Southern Right Whales. This is due to the impact this stock had
economically and can be seen in the example of the 1837 ‘black’ oil (obtained from baleen whales)
pricing which was retailing at £45 per tun (1,296 litres)xii and baleen retailing at £150 per ton which
made one Southern Right Whale valued at £315xiii. The whaling of the Southern Right Whale provided a
largely economic provision for Tasmania throughout the prominence of these whale populations
between the 1820s and the 1840s.
 Nash: Calving Chart
Shore Based Whaling:

Shore- based whaling was the industry that created the source of employment, income and whale
products during this time. Shore based whaling came into prominence in the 1820s. This was a process
by which a watch tower was set at a vantage point so that whalers were alerted when whales were
sighted. These whalers would take to their “open whale boats… [then] the whales were towed back to
shore where the blubber was stripped (flensed) and then 'tried', melted in large iron cauldrons set over
fires”xiv. The whaling vessels would base themselves much closer to the shore than during deep sea
whaling, making it easier, quicker and more efficient to hunt the whales. The convenience of shore-
based whaling relates to the fact that the station is much closer, meaning that the number of whales
that can be brought to
shore for processing
within one season of
whaling is much greater
due to the lessened
journey back to shore.
The process of hunting
the whales relied on the
populations returning to
the regions for the
season and continuation
in migrationxv. As a result
of the continued
Prout: Old Whaling Station
unsustainable overkill hunting tactics and the whaling of pregnant whales and calves, the industry
forced itself into much drier seasons of whaling. This fall in population is seen where Lawrence states
that “1000 whales [were caught] in 1839, in 1840 just over 800 were taken, and a year later less than
300”xvi. The Southern Right Whale’s migratory pattern and routes align with where Captain James Kelly’s
shore stations are located upon the east coast of Tasmania, further supporting the knowledge of these
whalers in the regions, and the fact that these animals were ambushed with their young which further
accelerated the decline of these through the killing of the future populations. This ultimately was what
led to the severely reduced populations of the Southern Right Whales, bringing an end to the shore-
based whaling industry in Tasmania. Subsequently, the prominent shore-based whalers were impacted
upon by this species endangerment, including James Kelly who was unable to adapt during this period of
hardship. This saw a large shift from on shore whaling to off-shore whaling.

Deep Sea Whaling:

The ways of the shore-based whaling industry, where the act “of killing pregnant cows and mothers with
their calves was not sustainable”xvii, yet still occurred, had severely reduced the populations of Southern
Right Whales, some of the whalers would have to adapt or fail in the industry. The move to pelagic
(deep sea)xviii whaling changed the way in which whaling activities would run, making for a seemingly
different enterprise to shore-based whaling. The need to move to other forms of whaling and the need
for a change in the processes of whaling saw many whalers adapt and continue on, for the most part this
was done by refitting ships for sperm whaling activitiesxix. This move is described by Nash, where he
states that “the
Maury & Maury: Whale Chart
increasing scarcity of
right whales and the
greater prices paid
for sperm whale oil
caused the
Tasmanian industry
to turn to pelagic
whaling where the
entire process was
carried out from
ship-based facilities”xx. Unfortunately for Captain James Kelly, his inability to do so, combined with the
fact that “Kelly was compelled to assign the greater part of his real estate to creditors. Then he was
severely hit by the commercial depression… his remaining assets soon melted away”xxi. This type of off-
shore whaling combined with some more modernly established shore-based whaling stations continued
in practice until commercial whaling was abolished in Australia in 1978, with the 1980 Whale Protection
Act stating that “A person shall not: (a)in waters to which this Act applies, kill, injure, take or interfere
with any whale”xxii. The ever-changing legislation has aided in the protection of whales and encouraged
promising repopulation of not only the Southern Right Whale, but also others in Australian waters.

End of the Journey:

From the establishment of whaling stations and vessels, the employment of a variety of people as
whalers was able to occur. These whalers provided income to themselves and the more prominent
whalers that owned their work ships and stations were also able to profit from the whaling of the
prominent Southern Right Whale in Tasmania. The narrative of Captain James Kelly provides a
personification of these events, that mirror his success, as one really did depend on the other. With
dwindling populations of these whales, changes from popular shore-based whaling was forced to evolve
into the deep-sea whaling of other species. These changes all reflect the significance of shore-based
whaling in Tasmania throughout its reign from the 1820s to 1840s, which was that it provided key
economic value in the import and export trades internationally. Without this industry, the Hobart as it is
known now would not be same. Though shore-based whaling came to an end in almost 20 years, the
whaling that was seen afterwards lasted for another 150 years. Today, whaling is no longer permitted in
Australia and whale populations are protected with increasing populations in Australian waters.
i
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 1.

ii
Lynette Russell, Roving Mariners: Australian Aboriginal Whalers and Sealers in the Southern Oceans, 1790-1870,
(New York: State University of New York Press, 2012), p. 6.

iii
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 16.
iv
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 16.
v
Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden: Navarine Publishing, 2003),
p. 5.

vi
Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden: Navarine Publishing, 2003),
p. 66.
vii
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing), p. 15.
viii
Australian Government: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities,
Conservation Management Plan for the Southern Right Whale: A Recovery Plan under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 19992011–2021 (2012),
<http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/conservation-management-plan-southern-right-whale-recovery-plan-
under-environment>, p. 2, 20 October 2018.
ix
Australian Government: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and Communities,
Conservation Management Plan for the Southern Right Whale: A Recovery Plan under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 19992011–2021 (2012),
<http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/conservation-management-plan-southern-right-whale-recovery-plan-
under-environment>, p. 4, 20 October 2018.

x
John Bannister, Great Whales (Clayton: CSIRO Publishing, 2008), p. 29.
xi
John Bannister, Great Whales (Clayton: CSIRO Publishing, 2008), p. 28
xii
Michael Nash, ‘The Reminiscences of Captain James William Robinson, 1824–1906’, Papers and Proceedings:
Tasmanian Historical Research Association, vol. 55, no. 1, (2008), p. 26.

xiii
Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden: Navarine Publishing, 2003),
p. 24.
xiv
Susan Lawrence & Catherine Tucker, ‘Sources of Meat in Colonial Diets: Faunal Evidence from Two Nineteenth
Century Tasmanian Whaling Stations’, Environmental Archaeology, vol. 7 (2002), p. 24.
xv
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 4.

xvi
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 10.
xvii
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 10.
xviii
C. W. Clark and R. Lamberson, ‘An Economic History and Analysis of Pelagic Whaling’, Marine Policy, vol. 6, no. 2
(1982), p. 1.
xix
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006), p. 10.
xx
Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden: Navarine Publishing, 2003),
p. 15.
xxi
E. R, Pretyman, ‘Some Notes on The Life and Times of Captain James Kelly’, Papers an Proceedings on the Royal
Society of Tasmania, vol. 105 (1970), p. 111.
xxii
Office of Legislative Drafting: Attorney-General’s Department, Whale Protection Act 1980 (1980), <
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004C07878>, p. 9, 20 October 2018.
Secondary Sources:
Australian Government: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Populations and
Communities, Conservation Management Plan for the Southern Right Whale: A Recovery Plan under the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 19992011–2021 (2012),
<http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/conservation-management-plan-southern-right-whale-
recovery-plan-under-environment>, 20 October 2018.
‘Calving Area Map’- Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden:
Navarine Publishing, 2003), p. 14.
E. R, Pretyman, ‘Some Notes on The Life and Times of Captain James Kelly’, Papers an Proceedings on
the Royal Society of Tasmania, vol. 105 (1970).
John Bannister, Great Whales (Clayton: CSIRO Publishing, 2008).
Lynette Russell, Roving Mariners: Australian Aboriginal Whalers and Sealers in the Southern Oceans,
1790-1870, (New York: State University of New York Press, 2012).
Michael Nash, The Bay Whalers- Tasmania’s Shore-Based Whaling Industry (Woden: Navarine
Publishing, 2003).
Michael Nash, ‘The Reminiscences of Captain James William Robinson, 1824–1906’, Papers and
Proceedings: Tasmanian Historical Research Association, vol. 55, no. 1, (2008).
Office of Legislative Drafting: Attorney-General’s Department, Whale Protection Act 1980 (1980), <
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004C07878>, p. 9, 20 October 2018.
‘Southern Right Whale Diagram’- John Bannister, Great Whales (Clayton: CSIRO Publishing, 2008), p. 76.
Susan Lawrence, Whalers and Free Men (North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2006).
Susan Lawrence & Catherine Tucker, ‘Sources of Meat in Colonial Diets: Faunal Evidence from Two
Nineteenth Century Tasmanian Whaling Stations’, Environmental Archaeology, vol. 7 (2002).

Primary Sources:
‘James Kelly’- Unknown, Captain James Kelly [image], (2008),
<https://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=1809>, 18 October 2018.
‘Old Whaling Station’- John Skinner Prout, Old Whaling Station, Original: 1840, in State Library Victoria:
Digital Library, Old Whaling Station [online database], 19 October 2018.
‘Whale Chart’- Maury & Maury, Whale Chart, 1806-1873, in National Library of Australia: Digital Library
[online database], 10 October 2018.