National maritime museum grant for
digitisation of Tasmanian whaling logs
Would you believe that a group of whalers in the mid-19th century caught a 31-metre blue whale
with a wooden harpoon? Or would you like to know more about the woman who gave birth to a
daughter on board a ship during a whale hunt?
Once the exclusive domain of researchers and curators, the log books of Tasmania’s most famous
whaling family will soon be on public view alongside the scrimshaws and foghorns of the National
Trust’s historic Runnymede House.
Using $4800 funding from the Australian National Maritime Museum, the National Trust has
commenced the process of digitising the historic whaling voyages taken by the seafaring brothers
Captain Charles and James Bayley between 1837 and 1881.
“In the past, you could only access the logs under supervision at the State Library of Tasmania,”
said Gemma Webberley, Property Manager of Runnymede House. “Now everyone will be able to
look at them… and in the context of the Bayley’s own home.”
Over 2300 pages of their logbooks, including the voyages of their favourite and most profitable
ship, Runnymede, around Van Diemen’s Land in 1849 and to the South Seas in 1851 and 1853, are
currently being scanned and photographed in Launceston.
The logs paint a vivid picture of life onboard a 19th century whaling ship as they battled whales,
illness and death. On one journey, the ship went 18 months without spotting a single whale,
leaving the crew nearly destitute.
Driven by strong industrial demand for whale oil, whaling became a prominent industry of Van
Diemen’s Land in the early 19th century and only tailed off when the supply of whales began to
dwindle. The Bayleys were closely associated with the beginning of the industry in the region.
Initially built by anti-transportationalist Robert Pitcairn, Runnymede House served as the Bayley’s
family home for over one hundred years. Its gardens provisioned the family’s large whaling fleet
which they operated out of the River Derwent.
The continued family ownership of the property until 1965 ensured that its collections of
scrimshaws and whaling logs were the most significant and extensive still in their original setting
in Australia. The logs also include the journeys of their other ships Wallaby, Lady of the Lake,
Fortitude and Derwent Hunter.
“The digitisation of the Bayley whaling logs is an important step towards preserving Australia’s
maritime history,” said Australian National Maritime Museum Director, Mary Louise Williams.
“We are pleased to be able to support this project through the Maritime Museums of Australia
Project Support Scheme (MMAPPS).”
The logs will be available online and on a computer at Runnymede House in early 2010.
The MMAPPS scheme, which the museum funds with Australian Government’s Distributed
National Collection Program, helps regional museums, community groups and volunteers to
promote and protect Australian maritime heritage. For more information, phone (02) 9298 3777 or
18 December 2009
Australian National Maritime Museum - Bill Richards (02) 9298 3645; 0418 403 472
Images and interviews are available upon request from brichards@anmm.gov.au
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