Genealogy Australia

The history of European settlement in Australia is closely linked with the development of primary industries such as whaling. The killing of whales for their oil and baleen played a particularly significant role in the economic growth of Tasmania, with first shore-based whaling station in operation within two years of the colonists' arrival on the  Derwent River.

Whaling was dangerous and dirty work, requiring 'men who will pull together, without swearing, and quarrelling and fighting and knocking off duty whenever they take it into their heads'. This book follows the fortunes of the whalers as they pursued their quarry around the coasts of Tasmania and south-eastern Australia. Basing his account on a wealth of historical sources and detailed archaeological work, author Michael Nash portrays an industry that burned bright but consumed itself within a few decades.

Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Whales and Whaling
2. Colonial Ventures
3. The Shore Whalers
4. Station Life
5. Northern Coasts
6. Expansion and Decline
Reference Sources
Appendix: Gazetteer of Tasmanian Whaling Stations
Select Bibliography
Index