Step back in time and set sail with Toern, the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company’s first steam-powered whale chaser, which arrived in Albany all the way from Norway in 1952.
Our brand new onsite exhibit, Unlocking the Logbooks, brings this remarkable voyage to life through original logbook entries, archival photos, route maps, and the untold story of Toern‘s epic journey to Western Australia.
The Toern made its historic voyage from Sandefjord, Norway, to the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station in Albany, Western Australia, marking a significant moment in Australia’s whaling history. After arriving in Albany, the vessel was renamed Cheynes, and its logbook entries shifted from Norwegian to English, documenting the day-to-day activities aboard the ship as it operated in Australian waters.
An integral part of this project is the digitisation of the Cheynes logbooks at the new state-of-the-art Digitisation Centre at the University of Western Australia, ensuring the conservation of these unique and significant records. Additionally, the project provides universal access to the logbooks via the Collections WA platform. Collections WA displays collections from cultural organisations across Western Australia. Through this initiative, the rich maritime history encapsulated within the logbooks will be made available to historians, researchers, and community members alike.
Explore the digitised logbooks online via Collections WA: collectionswa.net.au
This project was proudly supported by the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme. The Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
