Historic Whaling Station Discovery Bay Overview

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

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Visit the only complete whaling station tourism attraction in the world!

Looking out from the well-worn flensing deck, the view of King George Sound and its islands is breathtaking. The quiet tranquillity is in sharp contrast to the noisy, steamy, and very odorous scene from its past. The whaling station, which operated here from 1952 to 1978, is now a fascinating historic site, in which the stories of the teams of men who worked on the whaling ships and in processing the catch, bring the place to life. The Historic Whaling Station Collection includes a large photographic collection. Some of this rich visual material can be seen in the Colin Green Heritage Gallery, named after the community-minded businessman who first proposed that the Green Family donate its asset of the abandoned whaling station to the Jaycees Community Foundation to preserve this important industrial heritage. The site, and its fascinating displays, is now one of Albany’s most popular tourist attractions.

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View Collection at Collections WA

Address:

81 Whaling Station Road
Torndirrup WA 6330
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9844 4021

Email:

reception@discoverybay.com.au

Opening Hours

7 days 9am - 5pm

Flensing Knife and Boots

Wearing rubber boots with metal cleats on them, the flenser would walk up over the whale’s body, using the sharp knife blade to cut into the meat. As one of the flensers said, ‘It’s a dangerous sport...

Sperm Whale Skeleton

This skeleton is of one of the last whales to be caught in Australian waters in 1978. It would have taken two hours for the whale chaser to tow its harpooned catch from the deep waters of the...

Model of a Whale Chaser

This intricate model of the Cheynes IV vessel, was made by local model boat enthusiast Ian Lunt. The Cheynes IV was one of six whale chasers owned by the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company over its 27...

Ngowanjerindj - Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation Cultural Heritage Centre

A place where the local history of Noongar people in Gnowangerup is shared and looked after.

Ngowanjerindji is the local Noongar word for Gnowangerup, home of the mallee fowl. The Gnowangerup Aboriginal Corporation and Cultural Heritage Centre shares stories of local Noongar heritage, culture...

Balingup Heritage Display

Experience the Magic

Apple growing has been a major industry in Balingup for over a hundred years, so an old apple packing shed is a fitting location for this small, well presented Heritage Display. The shed, in the...

Northcliffe Pioneer Museum

Northcliffe is known as the town which refused to die. In 1924, 2,000 parents and children came to the forests of Northcliffe under the Group Settlement Scheme. The conditions were so difficult that...

City of Albany Art Collection

Albany's natural beauty attracts many creative people who are inspired by the local environment. Claude Hotchin, the arts patron who donated artworks to various local governments throughout Western...