Flensing Hook and Chopper
Cast iron flensing hook and chopper which has a hook at the handle end and a large squarish flat blade (like a spade head) at the other end. This flensing chopper would have been used to cut the blubber, whilst it was still attached to the whale, into manageable sized strips. The hook was then attached a strip and pulled to flay the blubber from the whale carcass.
In 1845 John Bateman formed the Castle Bay Whaling Company with three other Fremantle businessmen and a whaling station called ‘The Fishery’ was set up at the Bay to process the whales to extract whale oil. The ‘whale lookout’ on the hill above Castle Rock was used to sight whales swimming past. Harpooned whales were brought ashore and whale oil was obtained by boiling their blubber in huge cauldrons stirred with long handled spoons. The oil was then poured into casks for shipping. The Castle Bay Whaling Company closed down in 1872 as the price of whale oil declined with the commercial development of petroleum.
Details
Details
Flensing is the removing of the blubber from the whale and separating it from the meat. Processing the blubber into whale oil was the key step that transformed a whale carcass into a stable, transportable commodity.
This Flensing Hook and Chopper was used at the Castle Bay Whaling Company.
Busselton Historical Society
Busselton Historical Society
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