Introduction
By 1774 mixed whaling and sealing voyages were being made by crews from the United States, soon to be followed by British vessels. New Island was a favourite haunt of whalers and sealers from the 18th Century onwards and this is reflected in place names such as Coffin’s Harbour (now known as Ship Harbour) and Coffin Island after one or more of the whaling captains of this name; Hooker’s Harbour (now Settlement Harbour) likely after a Captain as the name pre-dates Joseph HOOKER, Barnard Passage after Captain Barnard who was marooned with four other men in the winter of 1813 for nearly eighteen months or after his father who had visited previously; and Sabina Point after the Norwegian barque Sabino.
In 1908 Christian Salvesen & Company Ltd built a whaling station on New Island and fishing began 16 January 1909 and ran until 1915. In 1916 the station was dismantled and most of the equipment taken to South Georgia. A Post Office was constructed on the North West corner of the whaling station in 1909 for the use of the whalers. It was closed 1 June 1917.
New Island Whaling Station - John Smith collection, JCNA
These files are part of the collection of Government Files held on Natural History - Whales and Whaling. NB: These files are on whales and whaling in the Falkland Islands. For whaling in the Dependencies see Dependencies.
These files have not been uploaded in any particular order but represent those scanned to date for researchers.
NAT-WHA-1-1 Messrs Salvesen Co. Refers to despatch No 30 of 22 May and suggests the granting of a licence to take whales in the waters of the Falklands and Dependencies other than S Georgia for 21 years.pdf(193.99 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-3 Chr Salvesen and Co. Whaling licence for East West Falklands.pdf(2.99 MB)
NAT-WHA-1-4 Captain Ole Danielsen. Manger for Salvesen Co at New Island.pdf(198.34 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-7 Messrs Salvesen Company. Claim by for the hire of their SS Hanka.pdf(178.85 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-8 Salvesens claim for the hire of Hanka.pdf(298.03 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-9 Hanka. Salvesens claim in respect of hire of.pdf(135.3 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-10 Salvesens New Island Station. Proposal to sell slip and shop to Norwegian Companies.pdf(187.97 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-11 Hire of Hanka. Salvesen and Companys claim for.pdf(65.55 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-12 Salvesens slip at New Island. The proposal to sell.pdf(242.5 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-13 Port of entry at New Island. Letter from Messrs Salvesen co concerning.pdf(202.47 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-15 Whale jaw bones presented to the Colonial Government by the Hektor Company.pdf(136.65 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-16 Regarding skeleton of whale sent to British Museum.pdf(873.18 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-17 British Museum. Acknowledges the receipt of specimens of whale parasites etc.pdf(117.12 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-18 Specimens for transmission to British Museum.pdf(836.5 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-20 Registration of six whalers at Port Stanley.pdf(241.37 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-21 Whale specimens at Stanley proposed forwarding to British Museum.pdf(566.74 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-22 Whaling in the Falklands application by Messrs Salvesens for lease.pdf(4.29 MB)
NAT-WHA-1-23 Visit to Falklands of Russian whaling fleet.pdf(1.15 MB)
NAT-WHA-1-24 Whaling station at New Island condition of.pdf(61.68 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-25 Visit of whale catchers Olympic Cruiser Olympic Runner.pdf(847.84 KB)
NAT-WHA-1-26 Visit to Falklands and Dependencies of Russian whaling fishing fleets.pdf(5.71 MB)
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