By: David Carment

David Carment — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 06:00:23 +0000

Thanks Nicole for a most interesting overview. It is instructive to observe attitudes in the wider Australian community towards whaling’s history. The Sydney municipality and suburb where I live are named after the whaler Archibald Mosman. His whaling station was on what is now Mosman Bay. The municipality’s official crest/logo prominently includes a whale but, perhaps in response to the recent sensitivity you mention, this seems to be used much less often than it used to be. Feelings in Mosman about the municipality’s whaling origins are divided. In a recent exchange of letters in the local newspaper, the Vice-President of the Mosman Historical Society questioned Archibald Mosman role as the supposed founder of the suburb, suggesting that killing whales was his main claim to fame. A Mosman family member quite angrily replied, pointing to what she saw as Archibald Mosman’s positive historical role. There is, as you rightly point out, a delicate balance here.

By: phanswblogeditor

phanswblogeditor — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 22:51:52 +0000

Thanks Nicole. I think another aspect of this historical perspective is that it gives us a better appreciation of the very gradual pace at which community attitudes to whaling have evolved – not only in Australia but even in Japan where demand for whale meat is in steady decline, as cultural attitudes change and memories of post-war food shortages dissipate.

Comments on: Saving whales

By: David Carment

By: phanswblogeditor