The Technology of Whaling in Australian Waters in the 19th Century

This study of the technology of the whaling industry in 19th century Australia originated as a part of a wider continuing research project into whaling in southern NS. W. It is necessary to be aware of the technology and the artifacts involved in order to understand the surviving artifacts of the industry, both in a museum and an archaeological context, to understand the technology of the sites being studied, and to understand the economic implications of the industry both locally and in the colony as a whole. Because shore-based and ship-based whaling were very closely linked in the 19th century, both in their commercial operation and in their technology, it is necessary to look at these two aspects of the industry in order to arrive at an overview of whaling techniques and artifacts. The following paper by Michael Pearson, Historian in the N.S.W. National Parks and Wildlife Service, looks at this technology, its sources, and the hardware associated with it.