Gary Puls

Gary Puls

Job Description
Flenser, Factory

Period
1965 - 1978

Gary was born in Albany on September 23rd, 1945. When he was eleven or twelve years old he would ride his bike out to the whaling station for the weekends to visit Dave and Connie Pearson who were good friends. Dave was a fitter and winch driver who lived on the station in a Nissan hut where house no 3 is now. Gary would go to work with Dave and sleep under the meal dryer where it was nice and warm. 

All his schooling was done in Albany and his first job when leaving school was with Main Roads.

In 1965 he knew Gordon Cruickshank Jnr and through him was able to get a job with the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company. Gary started in the solubles shed bagging, and in the off-season every year, welding and maintenance. In 1966 he started flensing and learnt by watching the other flensers. When Gary married he came to live on the station in the first house (no 3) that was built to replace the Nissan hut.

Gary remembers that there were different knives used for flensing and cutting ribs. When the blades of the flensing knives wore down they were used for cutting ribs.

He never had any major accidents during his time with Cheynes Beach Whaling Company, except for a broken ankle, caused by skylarking.