Please be advised: this website contains the names, images and voices of people who are now deceased.

Collections WA has a responsibility to preserve and make accessible the history and culture of Western Australia in all its various forms. The intention of Collections WA is to support research, and to reveal actions of the past that have impacted upon communities, families, and individuals.

In doing so, Collections WA acknowledges the need to respond sensitively and appropriately in cases when accessing this material may be confronting to Aboriginal visitors and clients.

Please also note: Some historical materials within this portal may include language or opinions that today are considered inappropriate or even offensive. Collections WA does not endorse this language and apologises for any distress caused.

Continue

Continue showing cultural advice

Stop showing cultural advice

Collections WA brings together collections from libraries, galleries, museums, archives, historical societies, cultural organisations, community groups and other collecting organisations across Western Australia.

Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

PAINTING - SOUTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE

« Prev Item Next Item »

Richard Ellis

c. 1975

Subcollections

Richard Ellis Collection

Overview

Painting of blue-grey mottled whale with pronounced bulbous forehead, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (65.)

Historical information

Collection of 106 of paintings by Richard Ellis that were selected by the Smithsonian Institution to form a traveling exhibit of the marine mammals of the world. The collection was purchased by Perth businessman Kevin Parry in 1985 and donated to Whale World, now known as Albany's Historic Whaling Station.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-128-RE1999.351

Item type

Themes

Material

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Inscriptions and markings

SOUTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE (Hyperoodon planifrons)

The southern version of the bottlenose whale, planifrons ("flattened brow") differs from its northern relative in size - it is somewhat smaller - and in certain anatomical details. It is seldom seen, probably because of the remoteness of its Southern Ocean habitat, but it has been reported from strandings in Australia, Tierra del Fuego, and South Africa.
65.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 65 Packing case # 4, AWHS accession number

Contextual information

The paintings represent a body of work by well-known American marine conservationist, author, artist and natural historian Richard Ellis (1938-2024).

Keywords

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Smithsonian Institution

Place made

United States

Year

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Scientific or research significance

Comparative significance criteria

Object’s condition or completeness

Rare or representative

Well provenanced

Public location

Colin Green Gallery

Google Maps search term / URL

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Albany's+Historic+Whaling+Station

Last modified

Wednesday, 15 October, 2025

Completeness

100

Copyright and Reference

Copyright and Reference

Copyright category

Other

Permissions

Reproduction or publication with Albany’s Historic Whaling Station permission only.

Copyright holder

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Other items by Richard Ellis

More items like this

Search all items »

Search all items »

Other items from Albany's Historic Whaling Station

Painting of blue-grey mottled whale with pronounced bulbous forehead on blue card with inscription.

Media reuse | View full size | Item feedback

Scan this QR code to open this page on your phone ->

Full size unavailable (you're already seeing this image in its highest resolution available on Collections WA)

Loading...