Educational Value Statement: Whaling in the Southern Ocean

'Whaling in the Southern Ocean' is a collection of paintings and photographs of the whaling industry in Australia from early colonial times to the 1940s. The paintings include dramatic scenes of the chase and the kill. The photographs provide informative and graphic images of whaling practices over time. The photographs also include examples of different whale by-products that were produced in the industry.

• The images in this picture trail depict spectacular scenes of the chase. They include highly dramatic paintings that depict the dangers that faced the whalers and the strong teamwork and courage required of them. The paintings present complex scenes of people in whaleboats in pursuit of their prey and some depict a mother ship in the background. The photographs demonstrate the increasing sophistication of technologies used in the 20th century.
• The killing of whales is powerfully captured in the paintings and photographs, which include images of the use of hand-held harpoons and harpoon guns. There is an evocative painting of a whale in a death flurry and another of a whale being brought to the mother ship, with details of the ships, people and tools involved in the process. The paintings emphasise the huge size of the whales in comparison to the whaleboats and whalers.
• Whales were processed on board mother ships, on land, on jetties and at whaling stations. There is a striking photograph of a massive blue whale beached on the island of South Georgia. Other photographs show a range of pulley systems and structures that were used to remove the whales from the water at stations in Western Australia and South Australia. The photographs depict the labour-intensive and difficult nature of processing the animals.
• The picture trail includes photographs of different methods used to process a whale carcass. There are photographs of people cleaning or 'flensing' carcasses and images of blubber being removed, cut up and boiled on board ships. Photographs of shore based processing of whales provide contrast to the 1939 photograph of a Japanese factory ship, which was able to undertake all aspects of processing on board.
• Whales were hunted for different purposes, but mainly for economic gain. The export of whale oil and whalebone was Australia's first primary industry, but the use of whale by-products in artworks and jewellery making was also popular. A common pastime for whalers was scrimshaw - elaborate carvings, including pictures and lettering, on the surface of whalebone or whale teeth. The engravings were often highlighted with pigments or layered effects.
• The paintings and photographs demonstrate the power of images to communicate information and meaning. The paintings provide a complex view of scenes, demonstrating the artists' use of composition, colour, perspective and framing to create effect. The photographs include long, medium and close-up shots. The images, including one of an unborn whale, reflect values about whaling in the past, which differ from those held by many people today.