Eden Killer Whale Museum collection

Located on the shores of Twofold Bay, the Eden Killer Whale Museum holds a nationally significant collection that explores a range of narratives, including material relating to the unique partnership between the Thawa people and the killer whales of Eden. The museum’s holdings include photographs of Thawa people and their connection to the orcas, and a portrait of Arthur Ashby, an Aboriginal man raised with the Davidson whaling family of Kiah River.

Also in the collection are a number of other photographs, including those depicting Indigenous whalers working alongside Europeans; the original sketchbooks of local Aboriginal whaler Albert Thomas; a Davidson family telescope etched with the names of both European and Aboriginal whalers; and a brass breastplate (gorget) presented to whaler Jimie Imlay by the Imlay brothers, who were among the region’s first permanent whalers. Together these objects reflect the deep, intertwined histories of Aboriginal and European settler communities on Twofold Bay, particular with respect to the commercial shore based whaling industry.

The museum is currently in the process of migrating collection records across to the online collection management system eHive. This will make all records accessible and searchable online. It can be found at Eden Killer Whale Museum | eHive. Contact the museum to access the collection at promo@killerwhalemuseum.com.au.