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Albany & Esperance #1

Join me for Day One of a 5-Day tour to Albany and Esperance in Western Australia, where the first stop was for morning tea at the small township of Williams, 160 kms south of Perth. Then on to Albany for an interesting tour of Whale World which is situated on the site of the old Cheynes Beach Whaling Station, located on the southern coast of King George Sound. The station ceased whaling operations and was decommissioned in 1978. This industrial site has been transformed into a premier heritage tourist attraction taking visitors on a true and often emotional journey, of Australian whaling through the site of Australia’s last whaling station. Complete the day with a visit to the natural granite formations of The Gap and Natural Bridge on the southern coastline in Torndirrup National Park.

December 2009Showing 1-40 of 8910182 visitsAlbum by gladysclancyPhotos by Gladys
Enlarge photo 1 Itinerary
Casey Australia Tours
Enlarge photo 2 First stop for Morning Tea
The Williams Woolshed is an innovative, interactive and interpretive tourism complex presenting ‘a wool story’.
Enlarge photo 3 Entrance to The Williams Woolshed
The Woolshed combines sheep shearing, regional wines, food, entertainment, art displays, educational programs and retail wool products.
Enlarge photo 4 Historic Agricultural Hall now the Art & Craft Centre
Enlarge photo 5 Historic Agricultural Hall built in 1898
Enlarge photo 6 Sparkling Road Train at Williams Service Station
Enlarge photo 7 Albany Highway at Williams
160 Kms south of Perth.
Enlarge photo 8 Decorated for Christmas
Large Norfolk Island Pine Tree in York Street, Albany.
Enlarge photo 9 Whale World at Albany
Whale World is situated on the site of the old Cheynes Beach Whaling Station, located on the picturesque southern coast of King George Sound in Albany, Western Australia.  The station ceased whaling operations and was decommissioned in 1978.
Enlarge photo 10 Map scan from Whale World Brochure
This international tourist icon is also acknowledged as one of the State's most significant tourist attractions.
Enlarge photo 11 Cheynes IV
Built in Norway in 1948 and given the name 'W.Fearnhead'. Was sold in 1948 to Union Whaling Company in Durban, South Africa and renamed the 'Wilfrid Fearnhead'.
Enlarge photo 12 Cheynes IV
In 1970 the 'Wilfrid Fearnhead' was sold to the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company where they renamed the vessel to the 'Cheynes IV', and stayed with the company up until its closure in 1978. In 1981 it was towed to its present position at Whale World where it is on display.
Enlarge photo 13 Granite Plaque
At a spring in this cove Captain George Vancouver RN watered his ships Discovery and Chatham in September 1791.
Enlarge photo 14 Whale World sculpture
Enlarge photo 15 Historic Anchor
Enlarge photo 16 Scenic view towards Albany
Enlarge photo 17 The Meeting Place for guided tour
Enlarge photo 18 Children's Playground
A Slide inside the Whale's Mouth and Swings suspended from the Whale's Tail.
Enlarge photo 19 King George Sound from Whale World
Enlarge photo 20 Storage Tanks for Whale Oil
Three whale storage tanks converted to theatres now feature presentations including the world's first 3-D animated whale film and a multimedia show.
Enlarge photo 21 Boiler House & Cheynes III Engine
Most plant and equipment was steam driven during the operational days of the station. Two Cleaverbrook boilers located in the boiler room supplied all the steam requirements of the station.
Enlarge photo 22 Boiler House & Cheynes III Engine
Today, the triple expansion steam engine taken from the Cheynes III Whalechaser is on display in the boiler house.
Enlarge photo 23 Approaching the Flensing Deck on Granite Rocks
Enlarge photo 24 Flensing Deck
The Flensing Deck was where the whales were hauled up and stripped of their blubber with extremely sharp flensing knives.
Enlarge photo 25 The Flensing Deck where Whales were hauled up
The Flensers were extremely hardworking men, up before daybreak and working under dangerous conditions.
Enlarge photo 26 The Flensing Deck and Processing Factory
The blubber and whale carcass was stripped from the whale and taken to the upper part of the Cutting Up Deck.
Enlarge photo 27 Coastline beyond the Flensing Deck
Enlarge photo 28 Processing Factory - Cookers
The Processing Factory was cut out of granite and much of the original bush timer still supports the Deck above. With the exception of the lower jaw and teeth, the whole whale was placed in these cookers and cooked under pressure for 3 hours.
Enlarge photo 29 Processing Factory - Cookers
A perforated liner inside the cooker rotated to grind the meat and bone to a paste. This reduced the whole whale to a thick liquid that could then be pumped into settling tanks. Solids were then transferred to the dryer opposite.
Enlarge photo 30 Procesing Factory - Dryer
When the settling process was finished, the oil on top was pumped to the large storage tanks and the solids came through to the large whalemeal dryer.
Enlarge photo 31 Procesing Factory - Dryer
After drying, the meal was ground up and transferred to the top end of the factory for bagging and storage. The drying machine and storage area are very much the same as it was in operational days, just without the smell.
Enlarge photo 32 Towboat
This boat was the first used by the whaling company (under contract) to tow the whales from the whalechasers to the flensing deck (slipway).
Enlarge photo 33 Approaching the Skeleton Exhibit
This exhibit was officially opened on 26 December 2005.
Enlarge photo 34 'Giants of the Sea' skeleton exhibit
Whale Rib Bones form the arched entrance.
Enlarge photo 35 Sperm Whale Skeleton
One of the last whales to be taken in 1978.
Enlarge photo 36 Sperm Whale (length 11 m)
One of the last whales to be taken in 1978, the sperm whale is the only large toothed whale and can dive very deep for its food (giant squid).
Enlarge photo 37 Pygmy Blue Whale
A 22 metre long Pygmy Blue Whale skeleton (the largest whale skeleton in Western Australia).
Enlarge photo 38 Pygmy Blue Whale
This Pygmy Blue Whale beached itself in the Albany harbour in 1973.
Enlarge photo 39 Pygmy Blue Whale
Enlarge photo 40 Humpback Baleen