Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of whaling at Frenchman Bay and the station that remains.
On this page
A company, a coast and a museum
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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26 December 1826
A settlement on the sound
A military outpost is founded at King George Sound, the beginning of Albany.
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1952
The station opens
The Cheynes Beach Whaling Company begins whaling from Frenchman Bay, with a first-year quota of 50 humpbacks.
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1962
To sperm whales
After the International Whaling Commission ends Antarctic humpback hunting following the 1962 season, the company turns to sperm whales.
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31 July 1978
Closure announced
On the first day of the Frost inquiry’s public hearings, the company announces it will close at the end of the season.
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20 November 1978
The last whale
The last whale, a sperm whale, is harpooned.
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21 November 1978
The last return
The whale chasers Cheynes II, III and IV berth at the Albany Town Jetty after their last hunt.
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1980
Whale Protection Act
The Whale Protection Act 1980 bans commercial whaling in Australian waters.
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December 1980
Open to visitors
The station is gifted to the Jaycees Community Foundation and opens to visitors.
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15 May 1998
State heritage
The station is entered on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places.
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2022
A new owner
The site and its assets are gifted to the Albany Heritage Foundation.
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May 2023
The Art of Scrimshaw
A permanent exhibition of Gary Tonkin’s scrimshaw opens.
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July 2024
Whales from the Air
A permanent exhibition opens around a Cessna 337 spotter plane.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
- Albany’s Historic Whaling Station: Whaling history
- Albany’s Historic Whaling Station: About us
- Albany’s Historic Whaling Station: Attractions
- Wikipedia: Albany’s Historic Whaling Station
- Wikipedia: Whaling in Australia
- Wikipedia: Albany, Western Australia
Links lead to the original publishers.