Norwest Seafood Prawning Factory

Statement of Significance

Historic Value – Importance for the density of diversity of cultural features illustrating the human occupation and evolution of the locality.
Historic Value – Importance in relation to an event, phase of activity of historic importance in the locality.
Social Value – Importance in contributing to a community’s sense of place.

Physical Description

A whale processing station operated on Babbage Island between 1950 and 1962. The site was later converted into a prawn packaging plant when whaling was banned in the 1960s.

History

During the latter part of 1948, a party arrived at Norwegian Bay, now known as Point Cloates and began the Nor West Whaling Company. In the original years of whaling, there were many setbacks at Point Cloates such as the difficulties in delivering whale oil to ships for overseas transport, time constraints in flensing a whale and losing two of the company’s whale chasers. In 1951, the Federal Government started whaling on Babbage Island converting the main factory building from a RAAF workshop. The location was chosen because migrating whales travelled close by this most westerly point of Australia. In 1956, Nor West Whaling Company purchased the whaling station on Babbage Island from the Federal Government to consolidate the future of the whaling industry in Western Australia. For a while they maintained joint operation of both stations using Carnarvon as the company’s base, however the decision was made to close the station at Norwegian Bay. The reason for closure was the great strain and maintenance that dual operations caused for both men and equipment not to mention the decline in the numbers and sizes of the humpback whales in the area. Babbage Island Whaling Station became the biggest land based whaling station in the Southern Hemisphere until 1963 where only 63 whales were found, mainly humpbacks. Norwest Whaling Co. took over the Australian Whaling Commission operations in 1963. When Nor West Whaling Company ceased trading, their infrastructure was turned to prawning and the associated growth in processing and packaging became a strong local industry. Whaling was eventually banned in Australia in 1978. All that remains on site is the original camp quarters & the office block. Several additions have been added throughout the years. The part still used by Norwest Seafoods today, was originally the meal shed where the bags of whale meat & solubles were stored prior to being loaded onto railway trucks for transport. The meat and solubles were then transported to the end of the one mile jetty for loading onto ships for overseas markets.

Integrity/Authenticity

High/High

Condition

Good

Creation Date

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Last Update

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