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Stranded Whale of Leven River
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50 Whales recently became fatally stranded on a beach in Tasmania's North West. This is not the first time such an unfortunate event has happened to Tasmania's biggest marine mammal.
A particular event involving a huge whale has been remembered in the Ulverstone History Museum.
On one rising tide in 1874 a large whale was stranded in the Leven River. The mouth of the river is in Ulverstone, just north of Devonport on Tasmania's central coast.
In the museum a newspaper article of the day tells its story in great detail;
"A lance was hastily fashioned by a blacksmith at the Forth for the purpose of killing the whale, folk travelling from afar to take their share of the blubber to boil up to extract the valuable whale-oil of which some 10 tons is said to have been extracted". It is said that the putrid odour of rotting carcass could be smelt for miles around"
The bone on display at the museum was souveniered by a local "character" Thomas Horsham. Tom was known as the "King of the Leven". The bone is painted with his initials and the date 1874. It stood for many years on his verandah where it was used as a stool.
Also in the Ulverstone History Museum are many interesting period photographs of this beautiful area that inform the visitor of the towns rich history
Reference :
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Ulverstone
- The beachside town of Ulverstone, 19km west of Devonport, is a popular tourist destination, especially in summer. It is the centre for a dairy farming and agricultural district.
