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 - SHEPHERD`S BEAKED WHALE

« Prev Item Next Item »

Richard Ellis

c. 1975

Subcollections

Richard Ellis Collection

Overview

Painting of dark grey dolphin-like whale with grey underbelly, gouache on blue card, framed and mounted with inscription (62.)

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-RE1999.364

Item type

Themes

Material

Glass (Material)

Width

410 mm

Height or length

440 mm

Depth

15 mm

Weight

1.52 kg

Inscriptions and markings

SHEPHERD'S BEAKED WHALE (Tasmacetus shepherdi)
The only beaked whale with a full set of teeth in addition to the large pair at the apex of the lower jaw. Shepherd's is known only from the southern hemisphere. Most of the records of this rare species are from New Zealand, but it has also been found stranded on the east and west coasts of southern South America.
62.

Verso: Smithsonian label checklist # 62 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 dark grey dolphin-like whale with grey underbelly, 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...