Whaling started in Australia in the late 18th century. The Davidson Whaling Station, just outside of Eden on the south coast of New South Wales, was one of the first commercial whaling operations in Australia. Numerous other coastal whaling stations were established around Australia in the late 1820s to 1830s.
Whaling and the export of whale by-products such as whale oil became one of Australia's first primary industries. Whales were used for a number of things. Whale blubber was melted down to be used as oil for lamp fuel, lubricants and candles and as a base for perfumes and soaps. Baleen (whalebone) was used for items such as corsets, whips and umbrellas.
Boats and harpoons
Early whaling, in the 18th century, was carried out using harpoons from small boats. The harpooned whales were towed behind the boats back to whaling stations on shore.
The development of harpoon guns, explosive harpoons and steam-driven whaling boats in the late 19th century made large-scale commercial whaling so efficient that many whale species were over-exploited and came very near to extinction.
The end of whaling and the beginning of conservation
Over-exploitation eventually ended the whaling industry in Australia. For example, an estimated 8300 humpback whales were killed on the east coast between 1949 and 1962. As whale numbers plummeted in the 20th Century, laws were passed to protect a number of the species.
In NSW, whaling ended in 1962. Cape Byron, now one of the state’s most important whale watching sites, was the last of the state’s whaling stations to close.
Since this time, populations have slowly begun to recover. Counts conducted in 2006 indicate that, from the estimated 200 to 500 Humpbacks left in 1962, the current east coast population may have grown to be around 8,000 animals. Last year around 1,900 Humpback whales were counted at Cape Solander, Sydney.
All commercial whaling in Australia ended in 1978 with the closure of the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company, in Western Australia.
In 1979, Australia adopted an anti-whaling policy, permanently ending whaling in Australian waters. At the same time Australia started to focus heavily on working towards the international protection and conservation of whales.
Whales, dolphins and porpoises in NSW waters are now protected under the Commonwealth Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Amendment (Marine Mammals) Regulation 2006.