JAMES CAIRD SOCIETY SHACKLETON NEWS

WHALING STATIONS ON SOUTH GEORGIA

The website http://www.mclaren.gs gives an interesting brief history of South Georgia's whaling stations, and contains some interesting photos relating to whaling history on the island (and also wildlife). Regarding the former, it offers the following useful facts, summarised her (for a fuller version, please see the site itself):

Grytviken was founded in November 1904 by Captain Carl Anton Larsen. The old Manager's house at Grytviken was refurbished and now houses the museum. Grytviken officially closed in December 1964. The largest of the whaling stations is Leith Harbour, which operated as a shore station from its inception in 1909 till it closed in 1965. Factory ships also operated in Leith Harbour. Stromness Harbour, originally an operational whaling station, was set up in 1907 as a floating factory site, the shore station being built in 1912. Stromness operated as a whaling station from 1912 to 1931 when it was converted into a large repair yard, with vast workshops, machine shops and a foundry. All operations at Stromness ceased in 1960/1.

Other whaling stations were sited at Godthul, a station for factory ships with only a rudimentary base ashore (1908 to 1929); Husvik, initially a floating factory site (1907 to 1960), a shore station being set up in 1910; out of operation 1930 to 1945. Partially dismantled in 1960/1 when its freezer plant was moved to Grytviken. Jason Harbour (1909 to 1926) was never used as a whaling station: its whale catchers operated out of Grytviken. Ocean Harbour (1909 to 1920) was a shore station at what was previously known as New Fortune Bay, and a decade later was almost completely dismantled and moved to Stromness. Prince Olav Harbour (1911 to 1934) was initially a floating factory site, a shore station being set up in 1916. no whaling operations were conducted in Rosita Harbour (1909 to 1923), previously known as Allardyce Harbour (presumably after Governor Allardyce, British Governor of The Falkland Islands in c.1914), its whale catchers operating out of Leith.