Newsletter Date May 2019 Volume 12 , Issue 2 SOUNDINGS Eden Killer Whale Museum/ 02 64962094/ Email [email protected]

Special Interest “We wanted to prove to the Articles: Cannery Canned government that the Thais For over 50 years generations were dumping canned tuna  New Exhibition – of Eden families worked at in , and we did, but Canned – 13th the fish canning factory on th the government was not march – 13 the foreshore of Cattle Bay, october prepared to act,” he said. Eden. “We looked at sanitation  A new industry In 1999 citing unprofitability and they (Thais) had the best for eden Heinz-Watties closed the system ever. But when we Eden Greenseas cannery looked inside their  From sea to can – laboratory, there was no one tuna processing sending its operations to wouldn't close a profitable working in there ticking factory. The local fish catch does Thailand. things off. It was all for  Fishy business not even supply half of our with development Twenty years on Canned, a show.” requirement, and over the last sharks circling new exhibition at EKWM several years we've had to import th opened on the 13 of March, Though the business was whole frozen tuna to keep the  Found – ss iron explores the history of the site claimed to have made an cannery operating.” she said. crown and the development of an 8 million dollar profit in industry in Eden that  John downton 1998 – the year before the While taking photos of the peaks , plains and impacted on most families in closure the company exhibition I met one of our pastures the town. clearly stood to make Friends of EKWM who also At the height of the fishing more in Thailand. worked at the cannery. This  International women’s day industry up to 40 tuna boats exhibition will draw interest plied the rich waters off Eden In 1999 the nation's from many in Eden as well as  Ekwm visits with 147 locals earning their jobless rate dropped to 7.2 tourists visiting the Museum. wotton gardens living at the tuna cannery. per cent, the lowest since Now just five trawlers operate 1990. In the NSW south  Sehgi history of coast town of Eden, one in bimbimbee out of Eden. In the mid- 1980s, more than a decade every eight workers lost before the cannery was their jobs. The corporate closed, Mr John Henry affairs manager for Heinz travelled to Thailand with Wattie Glenda Orland denied that the company another manager to examine the country’s fish processing was closing down a industry. profitable business. “We Find us on A new Industry for Eden- Jody White EKWM Curator At the turn of the 20th Eden on the northern side duplication. The cannery by century, Australian fish of Lake Curalo. In 1945, this stage had a concrete wall supplies were provided by this cannery was relocated along the beach front, a 161 few fishermen and fish was to Cattle Bay where ship metre long jetty (floodlit at expensive. Canned fish was building and ice making night for the convenience of mostly being imported from facilities were already fishermen), ice works, cold England and America. In the operating. In 1946, AFI store, a Canadian smokehouse, early 1930s, there were a few purchased Twofold Bay quick freezer, slipway failed attempts to establish a Canneries located at Lake engineering facilities, a boat large scale fish processing Curalo and turned it into a building shop, chandlery store, precinct in Eden, but it box making factory after canteen and a dam. Homes had wasn’t until the Second transferring the cannery also been built for cannery World War year of 1940 that plant equipment to the staff. As different fisheries a cannery was established in Cattle Bay site. In 1947 were developed locally, so was (after successfully turning range of cannery products. This around their Narooma included tuna in the 1950s and cannery), Green’s abalone in the 1960s. Green’s Products had their sights sold the cannery to Kraft in on establishing a cannery 1961 and in 1974 it was sold at Cocora Beach but in on again to Heinz. 1949 acquired AFI to save

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From Sea to Can – processing Tuna – Jody White EKWM Curator By 1995, the process took cannery wharf; weighed which forms and 6 hours. A year later a and sorted then transferred guillotines the tuna into new Bluestar process was to thawing tanks or put chunks which are then introduced reducing into deep freeze storage. packed into cans. 6. Open processing to just 40 3. Once thawed, tuna is ended cans continue on minutes. The film on the cleaned and butchered, the conveyor under a freestanding AV unit in loaded onto trays, then series of dispenser taps Bowler Gallery explains it taken to a giant cooker which add salt, water or in detail. The steps below and gently steam cooked oil. 7. The cans are then describe processing done then cooled. 4. The sealed with lids and are in the early 1990s: 1. Tuna cooked, cooled tuna goes carried in large metal is caught by purse-seine or to the cleaning tables and baskets to giant retorts for pole and line method skin, bones and red meat a final cook. The cans are (often many kilometres are removed by hand. then cooled, cleaned, out to sea), then Quality checks are labelled and packed into immediately frozen in undertaken to ensure a boxes. 8. Forklifts load large saltwater tanks on high quality. 5. A boxes onto trucks which the ship. 2. Tuna is conveyor belt takes the takes them to a warehouse unloaded at Eden’s tuna to the pack shaper in for distribution across the country. Fishy Business with Development Sharks Circling shillings a ton. Bay Development League Our EKWM Curator Jody White has uncovered early By 1927 Shark Fisheries (TBDL) President, J R Logan, history of the canning Ltd, was formed to take that operations had been troubled business in this ‘Fishy’ over the successful by strike action over changes to Prospectus. business of Russell timber workers working Fodder & By-Products conditions. Over 100 boats launch at the Ltd, manufacturing oil, In April 1929, Mr Logan Now the old Cannery site is Quarantine Bay ramp during leather and other products received notice from Mr Russell being re-developed by the Cattle Eden’s fishing tournaments in from both fish and sharks. that the Local Land Board had Bay Resort – photo Rob Whiter February and March. We Mr Russell as manager granted the application for a wonder how this site would be began promoting the factory site at Quarantine Bay. today should an industrial site company’s prospectus, Again a new company was envisaged for this area gone and vision for a base at formed, this time to ahead back in the late 1920s. Eden to further Shark accommodate whale products. A Shark Fisheries Limited Fisheries Ltd’s Amalgamating with two other prospectus held in the enterprises. Meeting with companies, Australian-Antarctic Museum’s collection and its some 70 residents and Whaling and Fisheries Limited relationship to Eden’s fish business leaders at Bega was floated, once again with Mr canning history was the (and others such as Russell as a director and impetus of delving into the Twofold Bay manager. background of this company. Development League By 1930 however local investors members at Eden) Russell were looking for full refunds Back in 1924 experiments outlined the hopes and with news that the Twofold Bay utilising waste material came dreams of the company project would not be going to fruition for George providing samples already ahead. Local newspapers carried Thomas Russell in the form produced at their the bad news that some investors of a new business venture. O’Riordan Street factory due to a technicality would not Russell Fodder & By- in Alexandria. be fully reimbursed. In the Products Ltd was established meantime, Mr Russell continued to convert fruit, vegetable By 1928, local to give lectures in Sydney, and fish waste of Sydney’s shareholders wondered at promoting the wealth of natural City Market into fertilisers, Shark Fisheries Ltd lack resources found in the waters off pig, poultry and stock fodder of activity locally. Eden. Check out our next - the contract worth 15 Mr Russell told Twofold issue as the plot thickens.

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1937 as Euroa, before being FOUND – SS IRON CROWN renamed Iron Crown and was The wreck of W W11 Iron Crown as a deck boy homeported in Sydney under the ore freighter SS Iron Crown when he was 18, and was British flag. torpedoed by a Japanese one of the five survivors. submarine in 1942 has been Between Mallacoota in the South found by the marine His partner Ms Silvester and Bundaberg in the North, these archaeologists aboard said Mr Fisher had been ships were sunk in 1943 by enemy CSIRO research vessel coming up from below submarines – Investigator, using sonar deck when he heard a equipment and a special drop terrible explosion. "He Kalingo- January 18th by I-21 Iron camera. Maritime grabbed the life jacket and King - February 8th by I-21Starr th archaeologist at Heritage he was calling to all the King – February 10 by I-21 th Victoria Peter Harvey said others to get out, get out," Recina – April 11 by I-26 he hoped the discovery not she said. "They knew the Kowarra – April 24th by I-26 th far from Mallacoota would ship was going down. He Limerick – April 26 by I-177 bring closure to the families jumped overboard, and it Lydia M. Childs – April 27th by of the seamen who died. was the life jacket that I-178 saved him." Wollongbar – April 29th by I-180 "The ship is in a really good Fingal – May 5th by I-180 state of preservation, Mr Fisher kept in touch Australian Hospital Ship Centaur although I'm pretty sure the until his death in 2012 May 14th by I-177 stern of it, where it was hit with the other survivors, Portman – June 16th by I-178 by the torpedo, was pretty including his close friend broken up," he said."The Bruce Miel from archaeology of these sites Adelaide. Before Mr enables us to finally find out Fisher died, he organised what happened and why it the plaque pictured here to happened. It tells us the be placed near the human story of the wreck." cenotaph in Mallacoota in Survivor George Fisher Victoria to honour his The ship was travelling shipmates. through and sank in just 60 seconds. 38 crew Iron Crown was built by were killed with only 5 men Lithgows Ltd, Glasgow rescued by SS Mulbera. for BHP. She was Tasmanian man George launched on 22 October Fisher worked on the Iron

John Downton – Peaks, plains & pastures painting he spends a lot of artistic career taking classes Born in Sydney in 1939 time judging at regional at the Royal Art Society of celebrated artist John shows. He judged many . He also Downton enjoyed his exhibitions, including the studied under George Lucas early childhood years in Sydney Royal Easter Show, and Leonard Long. Eden before leaving for Nowra Show, Kiama Art boarding school at 12 He travelled to East Timor Show and Bega Valley Art years of age. He returned as a maritime artist for the Awards. each year to enjoy his Royal Navy peacekeeping holidays in the area. force and was awarded an Mr Downton, is a member of AOM for his services to the the Australian Society of As an adult he worked as visual arts. Marine Artists, the Royal Art a commercial fisherman Society of NSW as well as the before following his Mr Downton is also the Shoalhaven, Kiama and Bega watchmaker’s trade during official artist for the HMAS art societies. the 1960-50’s. Albatross Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, with After two tours of duty There will be a follow up a gallery in the museum with the Navy he wrote exhibition entitled “Sapphire named in his honour his autobiography and in Seascapes” opening on the Fleet Arm Museum curator Ailsa in 2014.When he’s not th the 1970’s began an 15 of August. Chittick with John.

International Women’s Day International Women's Day was celebrated this year with a breakfast under the Museum's sails overlooking beautiful Twofold Bay.

While the bay is wonderful for recreation it has and remains a workplace for some. Karen Luobikis and Beverley Illes shared their stories of working as deckhands for their husbands during the peak of the abalone industry in Eden from our latest exhibition, 'Wild Catch'

Coming Events:

th May 11 Yippee – Brydes Whale again sehgi meeting sighted in Twofold Bay – and Karen Luobikis Cobargo Killer Whale sightings too!

Jenny Drenkhahn and Jeanine Grant October 15th EKWM visits Wotton Gardens (Nullica Lodge) sapphire Toni their activities officer had seascapes Margaret Sheaves, Leone arranged the visit and we may Fairweather and Jenny do it again some time. October 18th Drenkhahn representing the Our school holiday program was cruising museum visited Roy a great success with children forward Wotton Gardens to give and adults making bookmarks. residents who are unable to Check out the web address travel a taste of EKWM. below – Tom has made the top Taking along some objects 10 of the world’s most famous they thought would interest whales - I wonder how the other residents they were amazed whales feel about that! at the reactions invoking https://www.mnn.com/earth- many memories and matters/animals/photos/10-of- chatting about; milking and the-worlds-most-famous- sling shots and proper hand whales/old-tom writing.

SEHGI history of Bimbimbee

the font in the Uniting Eden Killer Whale Brigitte Kestermann a Museum member at Old Church where we met was School Museum gave an made of it. She later took PO Box 304 Eden NSW those who chose to on a tour 2551 interesting talk about the of the facility. establishment of Bimbimbee Phone: retirement village. John & The establishment of reciprocal complimentary 02 64962094 Kathleen McIlwraith – Smith were the citizens who gave entry for members to Fax: agreeable societies was some land and helped 02 64962024 establish the first retirement decided on and SEHGI will [email protected] facility in the region. John design a sticker to be added to membership cards for use We’re on the Web! was also an artisan of note and I think he carved some at participating museums. See us at: pieces of stone which he Jenny Drenkhahn

www.killerwhalemuseum.com.au called “merimbulite” I think

Eden Killer Whale Museum Schedule of Meetings:

Exec Panel Meeting 3pm 2nd Thursday Museum Library Curatorial Meeting 2pm 3rd Monday Museum Library Friends Meeting 9 am 3rd Wednesday museum Library