Tour the Old Whaling Station

Take a guided tour to experience the audio interpretation and re-enactment of the whaler's activities on the Flensing Deck, Cutting Up Deck and in the Processing Factory.

Flensing Deck The flensing deck is where the whales were hauled up and stripped of their blubber - much like peeling a banana. The strips of blubber and the carcass were then hauled to the upper part of the cutting up deck built over the cookers. The deck is sun bleached clean now, with no rancid smell from the once oil soaked timber deck. It has an almost eerie feel to it as your thoughts become immersed in the past.

Cutting Up Deck The cutting up deck is where the heads of the whales were sawn off and the rest of the whale was cut into chunks that were small enough to drop into the holes to the cookers below. Time and the elements have washed away the blood and it has a ghost like quiet atmosphere to it. The head saw stands as if on duty to remind us of times past when the picture was vastly different. A busy, dangerous and smelly place with 6 cooker holes in the deck like hungry mouths ready to swallow the pieces of blubber.

Processing Factory The processing factory, hewn out of granite, houses the 3 huge cookers into which the whole of the whale (except the lower jaws and teeth) was cooked under pressure for 3.5 hours. Inside the cooker a perforated liner rotated to grind the meat and bone to a paste so that the whole whale was reduced to a thick liquid which could then be pumped into settling tanks. The original bush timber is still in place to support the cutting up deck above. The guides rotate one of the cookers and turn the rotary dryer to assist in the interpretation of the oil extraction process. Much of the original machinery and plant in this section has been conserved.

Whale Solubles Recovery Plant The oil was tapped off from the settling tanks and the middle layer (glue water) went into glue water separators which removed the oil.  After the separation the liquid was pumped up to the solubles plant and then onto a three-stage evaporator that solidified the liquid.   Within the liquid, a lot of very fine solids are found, this was liquified to 60% solids and the water was evaporated back through the cooling tower and returned to the ocean as clear water. The 60% solids were pumped through the roller dryers, that were steam heated.  The liquid was forced between two rollers taht were very close together, side plates prevented liquid from running out. The liquid was tried to a treacle like consistency and then was moved to the hammer mill, where it was ground finely to become soluble meal with a protein content of up to 86%. Sold to Germany, Japan and locally it was used as stock feed additive and poultry food.  The raw meal was too high in protein to be used neat and was therefore broken down with other products.  If left unsealed the product would quickly return to a glue like state and proper storage and shipping was essential. The average 14m whale would produce approx. 2.5 tons of solubles.

Whale Meal Recovery Plant The bottom layer of the settling tank - the grax - went into seperators which removes the oil and water. The solids went to the rotary dryer which had heavy chains inside it, crushing  the solids and drying it out at the same time. It then went to a hammer mill which pulverised it further and was then bagged up as whale meal to be used as a stock feed additive and fertiliser. It was 68% to 72% protein and was considered excellent pig food and a valuable addition to prepared cattle and other animal foods. It was used locally and in Perth, also used as an excellent fertiliser for some of the rose gardens.  Whale meal was also exported - mainly to Japan. The average 14 metre whale would produce 1.5 tons of whale meal.

Factory Mess The factory mess is still functional and is used for various functions and activities throughout the year, although not fully original. It was partially destroyed by fire in July 2000.

The Store and Radio Workshop Located just inside the entrance to Whale World is the old 'Ships Store' and Radio Workshop.  This building is now known as the Colin Green Heritage Gallery and exhibits the Ed Smidt Collection.  Comprising of 54 magnificent photographs that 'pictorially record' the last 8 years of the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company's activities.

Pump House The steam pumps in this building were originally used by the Water Authority at Two Peoples Bay, east of Albany to pump water to the town of Albany. When the Water Authority changed to electrical driven pumps, the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company purchased them to pump whale oil to waiting ships.

Boiler House The Boiler House had 2 Cleaverbrook boilers that supplied the steam requirements of the company. Most plant and equipment was steam driven during operational days. It now provides an environmentally friendly area to display the Triple Expansion Steam engine from the whalechaser Cheynes III. Commissioned in 1947, the English manufactured engine is turned over by an electrically driven system to allow visitors an insight into how it operated.  The engine weighs 50 tonnes and is 1800hp