CAROLINE BAY PLAYGROUND
1 Virtue Ave, Timaru
Weller Bros Whaling Station near this place 1839-1840
The first recorded shipment from Timaru was 70 tun (66,780 L) of oil was exported from Caroline Bay in 1839.1 tun = 8 barrels. A wine tun is 252 gallons.
Graphic Illustrations of Animals-print. coloured lithograph The Whale by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins c1850 Plate XIII from the volume Graphic Illustrations of Animals showing their utility to man in their service. sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/graphic-illustrations-of-animals-prints-lithographs
This print, made around 1850, illustrates the process of whale hunting and the many different ways whale parts were used in everyday life. It features small titled scenes showing activities such as unsuccessfully harpooning a whale, cutting off blubber, and using whale oil to light lamps and lighthouses. Other scenes show how whale by-products were used in commerce, manufacturing, agriculture, and even fashion—for example, whalebone was used in umbrella spokes and women’s dress frames. Two of the most valuable substances highlighted are spermaceti, found in the sperm whale’s head, and ambergris, found in its digestive system. Both were used in perfumes and cosmetics, while spermaceti also made high-quality candles. Everyday uses included lamp oil and agricultural fertilizer. The print is part of a larger collection published by Thomas Varty that explored how humans exploited animals, and it was illustrated by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, a natural history artist best known for his famous dinosaur sculpture