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1904 - 1965 |
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1904 - 1965 |
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The two flags represent British sovereignty and the Norwegian workers that largely staffed the whaling stations. Throughout the Whaling Epoch on South Georgia the vast majority of the station staff and boat crews were Norwegian. Administration was centralized after 1909 at King Edward Point near Grytviken.Photos marked "*" supplied by Jim McLaren and used by permission. Flags and coat of arms modified from the World Flag Database.
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Company (Country of Registration) |
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| Grytviken
Image 1 Image 2* Image 3* |
Compañia Argentina de Pesca (Argentina) | 16 Nov 1904 to 1960 | The first whaling station in Antactica. The lease was formally granted 1 Jan 1906. Floating Factories also operated from 1909 to 1916. |
| Image 4*
Image 5* |
Albion Star (South Georgia) Ltd (F.Is.) | 1960 to 1979 | Albion Star finished whaling at the end of the 1961/1962 season. The station was sub-leased to Kokusai Gyogyo Kabushike Kaisha of Japan for the 1963/64 and 1964/65 seasons. It closed on 4 Dec. 1964. A caretaker remained until early 1971. |
| " | Christian Salvensen Ltd (UK) | 1979 to current | Not worked since 1964. |
| Jason Harbor | Compañia Argentina de Pesca (Argentina) | 1 Jan. 1909 to 31 Dec. 1926 | The site was not used for a whaling station but the whale catchers its lease permitted were deployed from Grytviken. Only one small hut was erected. The site reverted to the Government in 1927. |
| Stromness | Sandefjord Hvalfangerselskab (Norway) | 1907/08 to 1920 | Intended for a floating factory site in 1906/07 but the ship was wrecked. Another floating factory operatedfrom 1907/08 anfd the lease was granted from 1 Jan. 1908. A shore station begun in 1912 started operating in March 1913. Station sub-leased to Southern Whaling and Sealoing Co. in 1917/18 and 1918/19. |
| " | Vestfold Hvalfangers A.S. (Norway) | 1920/21 to 1945 | A new company formed by amalgamation of Sandefjord Hvalfangerselskab and Hvalfangerselskab 'Ocean' used the station until it finished whaling on 12 Apr. 1931. From 1931/32 it was sub-leased to the South Georgia Co. as a ship repair yard. |
| " | South Georgia Company
(Christian Salvesen Ltd.) (UK) |
1945-current | The station was closed after the 1960/61 season. |
| Husvik | Tonsbergs Hvalfangeri (Norway) | 24 Dec. 1907 to 1959/60 | Started as a floating factory site in 1907 which continued to 1913. The lese was formally granted from 1 Jan. 1908. Shore station started operating in 1910 and continued to 1930/31, resumed in 1945/46 to 1956/57 and in 1959/60. |
| " | Albion Star (South Georgia) Ltd. (Falkland Islands) | 1960/61 to 1979 | The station was partly dismantled in 1960/61 and its meat freezing plant moved to Grytviken. |
| " | Christian Salvesen Ltd. (UK) | 1979-current | " |
| Godthul | Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskab (Norway) | 8 Jan. 1908 to 1928/29 | This was only a floating factory site with a small shore base. The company purchased the South Georgia Exploration Company's lease and was granted a whaling license from 16 Sept. 1908. The site was used from 1908/09 to 1916/17 and 1922/23 to 1928/29 (24 Apr.) after which the lease lapsed and the site reverted to the government. |
| Leith Harbor | Christian Salvesen Ltd. (UK) | 13 Sept. 1909 to present | Shore Station from the beginning of operations. Lease formally granted on 1 Oct. 1909. Floating factories also operated from 1912 to 1918. The station did not operate in 1932/33, 1940/41 and from 1942/43 to 1944/45. The company's last whalng season was 1960/61. The station was sub-leased to Nippon Suisan Kaisha for 1963/64 to 1966/67 but closed on 15 Dec. 1965, the end of South Georgia whaling. Caretakers left in Jan. 1966. |
| Rosita Harbor
(ex-Allardyce Harbor) |
South Georgia Company
(Christian Salvesen Ltd.) (UK) |
1 Oct. 1909 to 1923 | Nothing was done at this site but the Whale catchers its lease permitted were deployed from Leith Harbor. The site reverted to the government in 1924. |
| Ocean Harbor
(ex-New Fortune Bay) |
Hvalfangerselskab 'Ocean'
(Norway) |
10 Oct. 1909 to 1919/20 | Shore station from the beginning of operations on 26 Oct. 1909. Following the company's amalgamation with Sandefjords Hvalfangerselskab the station was almost entirely removed to Stromness and the site reverted to the government. |
| Prince Olav Harbor | Southern Whaling and Sealing Co. (Irvin & Johnson) (South Africa) | 1 Aug. 1911 to Sept. 1919 | Floating factory site to 1916. Shore station began in 1917. |
| " | Southern Whaling and Sealing Co. (Lever Brothers) (UK) | Sept. 1919 to 31 Dec. 1934 | Continued as a shore station until 14 Mar. 1931 and then closed. Site reverted tot he government from 1 Jan. 1935. |
| " | South Georgia Company
(Christian Salvesen Ltd.) (UK) |
17 Sept. 1936 to current | Station purchased for salvage. |
