Lost Whaling Station Mystery
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- Searching for remains of Tasmania's first whaling station at Trywork Point on the Derwent in Hobart.
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Has relevance to this video
William Collins
William was born around 1760 and was the son of a seaman. He attended the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, England. He was apprenticed to a 70 ton* sailing vessel operation from Dover for 7 years (* slightly bigger than the Lady Nelson). Upon completion of his apprenticeship he joined the Royal Navy, working his way through the lower ranks until he became a sailing master. In a nut shell the captain ordered “I want to do this or go there” and the sailing master worked out which sails to set and when to maneuver to get there.
He paid off from the navy in 1802 and decided to try his hand at whaling in Australia. He joined David Collins (his cousin) expedition in England to make a settlement at Port Phillip, near current day Sorrento. Upon arrival William helped to survey Port Phillip. When the settlement was not going well he offered to take dispatches to Sydney in a six oared open boat. This is journey of over 1,000 kilometres - what the early settlers did was incredible. They were 9 days into the journey and very north of Bateman’s Bay when the vessel the Ocean picked them up and took them the rest of the way.
Answering the dispatches William carried Governor King sent back his orders on the Lady Nelson that the settlement could move to either northern or southern Tasmania (depending on what David Collins thought best). The Lady Nelson departed on November 28 1803. The Lady Nelson encountered rough weather in Bass Strait and after a fortnight of trying to make ground into strong adverse winds sought shelter in the lee of the Kent Group of Islands. Twice she tried to leave the anchorage and twice she had to return. Governor King also sent the Ocean and the Francis to Port Phillip also with his orders onboard Ocean were William and the sailors from the open boat. They got to Port Phillip arriving on December the 12th. They must have thought that the Lady Nelson had foundered and was lost.
David Collins sent the Francis along with William and others to go and have a look at Port Dalrymple in Northern Tasmania with view to settling the new colony there departing on December 12th. The Captain of the Francis reported seeing smoke from the Kent Group and was ordered to go via those islands to see if the Lady Nelson was there: she was! Francis by this stage was leaking badly and it was decided to send her to Sydney for repairs. The exploration party all moved to Lady Nelson and set off for Port Dalrymple. Onboard were William, Robert Brown (Botanist), George Harris (surveyor), Adolarius Humphrey the (Mineralogist), and Danish adventurer Jorgen Jorgenson. All bar William were young men in their twenties.
They arrived in the Tamar River on January 1st 1804 and due to bad weather stayed for 18 days. Then a quick trip up to Port Phillip and after a few days most of the colony embarked on the Ocean or the Lady Nelson and sailed for the Derwent. Upon arrival in William and surveyor George Harris selected the site of current day Hobart and the settlement was moved from Risdon Cove to Hobart.
Governor Collins appointed William as Hobart’s first Harbour Master. In this position he set up a signaling station on Betsy Island, built a wharf on Hunter Island. He was only in the job a few months and resigned and in partnership built Hobart’s first water powered mill on the Hobart Rivulet. He also set up the first whaling station at Ralphs Bay. In 1805 he had daughter to a convict woman in Sydney called Mary Daniels. He “came to an arrangement” with Mary and paid some money and Mary went off on her merry way. The daughter went on to marry a James Triffitt in Tasmania: the Triffitt name is well known in Tasmania.
William had a better marriage in mind and in 1808 marries Charity Eliza Mackey Hobbs and they have 4 children. He spent the next decade involved in many commercial ventures often in partnership with James Kelly. However his debts increased as time passed. In 1819 he was sailing a ship to Calcutta and he died of Cholera on the voyage. He left his family destitute.
William is mentioned in the book settlement of Hobart
“Mr William Collins was supreme, in the direction of the works in and about the island, and the Governor was already planning the erection of substantial store-houses, therein which the precious provisions and stores, on which the very existence of his little community depended might be safely housed beyond the reach of marauders. This William Collins was a prominent man in the new colony, a position which his training as a master in the navy, his enterprising character, and his capacity and judgment fully justified. His adventurous and plucky voyage in an open boat from Port Phillip to Port Jackson with dispatches will be remembered. Since that time he has done good service in examining Port Dalrymple, in company with Surveyor-General Harris, and Agricultural Superintendent Clark, while the Governor was still lingering at Port Phillip undecided as to his final destination. He was now raised to the dignity of Harbour Master of the port, and• was a person of no small consequence in the settlement.
Important historical figure.
So well done Angus…you have the ability to make every second of these presentations so interesting and watchable. I hope you can continue to gift us with these thought provoking views on Tasmanian history…👏
Thank you, James
The call of the whales must haunt the area and what scenes there must have been. So many fine Tasmanian buildings were built by proceeds of the industry. Such a thought provoking video thanks Angus. With Harry's mexican stand-off with the cow and the bad vibes I think he may have gone home totally exhausted.
Dog Day Afternoon
thank you for this programme, I was not aware of this. a sad story indeed and more sad when when a housing development occurs.
Why more sad?. Our heritage depends upon people to have it, and we are in need of housing. That land, at the owners desire, could have 2500 homes on it.
Thanks once again for fleshing out the local surrounds it makes you see where you live through a different set of eyes😊
Glad you liked it, Jonathan.
I've always wondered about the treeless expanse of land on South Arm. Another great video❤
Thanks, mate. Cheers for watching.
I lived in a cottage in Queen St they say was a where the whalers lived. Would love to see the whales back. Just beautiful scenery. Thank you.
Thanks, Dianne. Good that you enjoyed it.
Your insights & local knowledge and stories always make for an interesting Vid. Well done & thnx.
Thank you, Mal
Let the whales come back! I wish I could live to see that. Thanks very much Angus.
Thanks, Shelly. Maybe one day.
Great episode, I too would love it if the whales returned. The idea of being able to hear their whalesong from the surrounding land is magical but I don't believe it will happen in my lifetime.
Great videos and as a senior citizen a lot of your talks bring back a few memories.well done and look forward to you future research
Angus my man, can you do a video on the history of the huts on Mt Wellington?
Not necessarily spoil their locations, but why they are where they are and what their purpose is?
Not a bad suggestion.
Great idea!!
As someone who lives on the Eastern Shore this was awesome to stumble upon. Well done and I will keep an eye on the dogs in the event of a possible earthquake 👍
Yes a very sad episode indeed, human and marine life. Dog did look a little melancholy on the beach😢. Great work again 😊
History is filled with unpleasantness.
@@angusthornett yes it sure is 🥺
See the thing I like about your videos are that you seem to do so much research so keep it up
Cheers, mate.
Love the research from Dog and Angus. Always wondered about that point and why it was cleared. Hobart is a different beast now as to when I was a kid. Thanks for bringing what to me was an unknown usage of that land.
Thank you very much, Rod. Glad you enjoyed this one. It's so cut off down there. I think the video captures something of what it feels like.
Thanks so much Angus for your informative videos. Having grow up in Hobart I’m still learning about its history. Keep up the great work.
Both Salamanca and Wrest Point Casino still have Whalers Trypots used to boil the blubber from the whales. There was a Whalers Station at Wrest Point and was also called Hangman Point due them displaying executed people to all the incoming ships to ward of bad behaviour.
Good ona Angus! Oh the smell of deserted whaling stations lingers for years too! Cheney Beach in WA was still on the nose a couple of years after its closure!
Grim stuff, Fred.
Great informative video as always mate, thanks so much
Cheers, Nathan. Thanks
Another good one Angus. A couple video suggestions, the story of Hydro Tasmania, and the life of William Buckley in Tas. They could be too far reaching of a story from Hobart but thought it was worth mentioning.
Good suggestions, Jake
Yes, the background story on William Buckley is fascinating...& For a time, William Buckley lived in Arthur Circus, Battery Point.
Another great one. Excellent footage, excellent research, excellent narration, excellent co-host.
We all love your videos Angus, keep em coming.
Cheers, Sam. Thanks
Another great story Angus. A suggestion for you is there's another good story waiting on the Peninsula. The story of the convict who escaped and died a lonely death at tunnel bay could be bought to life by you. You'll know what to do...
Good suggestion, Mick. Thanks.
Fishers Point whaling station at Cockle Creek is another important whaling station to visit.
Interesting place.
Hi Angus, being a Tranmere local, you've just filled a gap in my curiosity. As a tip for future stories on Bellerive and the Eastern Shore, have you ever met John Sargent from the Bellerive Historical Society? A fantastic gentleman he is.
Hello and welcome back to the world of CZcams, Augus!
I am thrilled to see you have returned to the platform, gracing us once again with your remarkable storytelling and compositions of images from in and around Hobart. You have a rare gift for capturing the very essence of Hobart and weaving it into captivating narratives that leave us yearning for more. You have a rare gift and I encourage more to subscribe …..and encourage more to encourage more to support your efforts.
Welcome back, and may your creative spirit continue to flourish and inspire!
Thanks, mate. Hope you saw the South Hobart series too.
Excellent vid mate.
We visited your beautiful state for the first time early this year.
On a tour we took, a guide mentioned that the reason they named Wine glass bay was not only because of the obvious geographic design, but as the waters were often red from whaling activity back in the day, would love your opinion on this...fact or fiction.
Thanks, Adam. I reckon the guide is talking jive. The name Wineglass Bay was first recorded in 1822 by Captain James Kelly, who was charting the coastline of Tasmania. He most likely did so because of the shape.
@@angusthornett thanks mate, seemed a bit extreme, might have come to him on a night on the goon bag....
@@adambrown865 @angusthornett Currently on Stewart Island, the Tasmania of New Zealand, I heard this very story only day ago from a Christchurch couple here, who visited a year ago or so.
Thanks Angus, another well made short doco.
Cheers, VE
Fabulous history again, so glad you are sharing this with us.
You're welcome, Catriona
You don't even have to imagine how bad a sight the whaling would have been there, all you have to do is search for pics of 'Faroe Islands whaling'.
The scenes captured are just barbaric, even though their whaling has become heavily regulated in recent times.
Now just think how bad whaling was there in Tassie at its very (unregulated) peak! Like you said, it would have been a horrible job and an utterly despicable place to live.
Russell Coit would be so proud.😢
If you have any suggestions for future videos, please comment. If you have any interesting knowledge or memories, please share.
Do you know much about the Ferry men of the old days? I would love to know more about ferries from Hobart to the other smaller towns such a s Kingston, please
Awesome work as always. The slip cottages from 1840s Middleton off esplanade road would be awesome. Some of the buildings are still there and the foundations. Also you can see the old slips off google earth and the owners of the property are such awesome people they would let you enter the buildings when asked.
The pipeline track
History of West Moonah?
Would a video about the peninsula you see in the background of this one be of interest? of course this is Arm End / Opossum Bay which is now being developed into a golf course; so things are changing. But it has a soltary grave at the very tip...there is a story there for sure! That's my dibs, Angus....thanks for another terrific video!
Another great piece of history shared that many would never know about, love seeing our little state explored in such depth. Helps us all understand what came before ☺️ would love any stories or knowledge you may have about Battery Point and the many historic buildings/general history etc in the area. I know there are a lot of ghost stories, but Battery Pt was also a whaling community so there may be many untold/unknown facts. I work in the area and love walking around on lunch breaks/before and after work and discovering little pieces of the past. (Did you know Battery Pt is named after 3 defence batteries that were built at various times on the land that is nowPrinces Park?) 🤔
Thanks, Lauren. I'd like to cover Battery Point at some time.
Good seeing a man who wears real shorts💯😎
Cheers
Up until recently there was still a whale skeleton sitting near the shore there, used to see it as a kid going out on the boat.
There was a well on the point too lined with brick. Saw it in the late1970s. I thought of it with the mention of scattered bricks.
Another amazing video Angus and please note i really enjoyed the format of you addressing the camera and presenting content regards Drew
Cheers, Drew. Thanks for watching and enjoying.
Another brilliant episode. Thank you. So good to see some views and imagery from that private peninsula. Been very curious about that area since moving to Hobart and frustrated I can't go poke about down there!! Another vid coming next week I do hope?
Yep, Sunday at 5pm
@@angusthornett funk yeah, awesome!!!
Brilliant video once again mate! I am just curious myself really, but do you have any knowledge of niche history involving the eastern shore in particular? I feel that’d be an interesting video exploring and uncovering some overlooked history, as I feel the area, compared to the inner suburbs of Hobart, is not as talked about.
Thanks, mate. Yes, agrees. Eastern Shore is interesting for a few reasons.
Thanks Angus great history
Cheers, mate
Love your work mate!!
Thanks, mate.
Another good video. Although for the first time felt uncomfortable watching thinking of the whales when you described the smell…. Had to pause.
Thanks. Glad you could finish the video. Ha
Thanks!
Thanks a lot, Tim. You’re a big help to the channel.
Yes they might. But as you said. It will take a long time 🙏 nice work Angus.👍
Thanks for tuning in, Craig
Hi, there Angus I am loving the videos and keep them coming I did not know the old part of Lenna was built for two walers so all the best and stay safe.
Thanks, keep watching.
Good job Angus. Thanks!
Thanks, Blaxter
Well done
Thanks
Thanks Agnus, great vid 🙂
Cheers, mate.
another great video mate..
Thanks, Z
That was awesome.
Thanks, dude
Thanks
Thanks, Chris. Cheers.
Cracking video
Cracking comment
Love your work Angus 👍
Thanks, Nathan.
Thank you! I feel the bad juju 🙂.
But my dog Ted and I are also optimistic.
Cheers, Sandra. Pat your dog from me.
Would be a lovely sight.
It would
Well done . Great video
Thanks, mate.
Amazing work, as always. There’s no way it’s a privately owned beach. Maybe to the high tide mark, but that isn’t somebody’s private beach
In Tasmania, the State Lands Act 1949 determines the ownership of land below the waterline. In certain circumstances in which private ownership of land below the waterline may be granted. While the default ownership of land below the waterline in Tasmania is vested in the Crown, there are some circumstances where private ownership may be granted through leases or licenses.
Wish I had a private beach .🏝️
Again, thanks Angus
Cheers, mate
Where you say privately owned beach at 6:05. I don't think it's possible to own a beach, only from the high water level onwards.
In Tasmania, the State Lands Act 1949 determines the ownership of land below the waterline. In certain circumstances in which private ownership of land below the waterline may be granted. While the default ownership of land below the waterline in Tasmania is vested in the Crown, there are some circumstances where private ownership may be granted through leases or licenses.
Loving the videos. The beach is not privately owned. No beach anywhere in Australia is owned privately. All beaches are owned by the Crown, although access directly to the beach might be privately owned.
In Tasmania, the State Lands Act 1949 determines the ownership of land below the waterline. In certain circumstances in which private ownership of land below the waterline may be granted. While the default ownership of land below the waterline in Tasmania is vested in the Crown, there are some circumstances where private ownership may be granted through leases or licenses.
This is true when one considers Tasmania to not be part of Australia. And is why Shirley Maclaine left in a pique after fingin out beachhouse on the beach were nt allowed. Besides ancient slipway ttiles on Battery Pt, there were rumours some governors wanted to recreate a prelapsarian england by returning inheritiance to a forced primogeniture system of inheritance of titles.
Great vid mate. Where’d you get that nice jumper?
Some shop in Bristol
The whales in the Derwent were gone within years of settlement by reading knoppwoods diary
Yeah, gone from the river quickly. Then they had to go right out into the ocean to catch them. Then they were gone too.
here's hoping your right and they do come back on mass.
One day far into the future.
Thanks Angus. Excellent information, as usual. What a contrast between the blood bath of the painting and the placid landscape now! I too am hopeful of the return of the whale, even if the human race destroys itself- Gaia rules in the long run!
Thanks, Austra. 'In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery.'
Interesting but I’m not so sure of your prophesy.
Tell me one thing of any value that doesn't get exploited
Geothermal energy
@@angusthornett there can't be a big enough or easy dollar in it
x1 like and x1 comment for your algorithm stats 😊
Feed the matrix
That whole island should be replanted in trees get rid of the cattle get native wildlife back
There are as many whales now they believe as there was prior to European whaling enterprises on the east coast of Australia.
Don’t let all the doomy environmentalists beat you down. If not it is most definitely not just hanging on but in very solid recovery.
Im older than you and I have been watching and hearing this doom on the tv since Wild Kingdom was on every Sunday night as a boy.
You can still watch them on CZcams and very little has panned out a badly as they would have you believed at the time.
That said we don’t have the Orca pods we had that preyed on the baleen whales but they will come, you can bank on it like i can bank on your climate alarmism wasting trillions.
Gently poignant. Thank you. phillip
Thanks, mate.
Thanks!
Thanks, dude.