The killer whales of Eden: Old Tom, the Davidson whalers and Twofold Bay

Few places in the world have a story quite like Eden's. For decades, a pod of killer whales and a family of shore-based whalers worked together in Twofold Bay, the orcas herding passing whales into the bay and alerting the whalers, and the whalers sharing the catch. The story sounds like legend, but it is well documented in local records, photographs and the skeleton of the pod's most famous member, Old Tom, which still hangs in the Eden Killer Whale Museum.

This guide draws on the Eden Killer Whale Museum, the Eden Chamber of Commerce and NSW National Parks. Visit the museum and the historic sites to hear the story in more depth.

Whaling in Twofold Bay

Twofold Bay, a deep natural harbour at Eden, was an important base for whaling in colonial New South Wales. The Eden Killer Whale Museum describes Eden as the site of the first shore-based whaling station on mainland Australia, and whaling continued here for almost a century. At the industry's height, many boats operated out of the port.

Shore-based whaling used small open boats rowed out from the shore. Crews harpooned whales, mostly baleen whales such as humpbacks and right whales, and towed them back to try-works on shore, where blubber was boiled down for oil.

The Davidson family

The Davidson family became the best-known whalers of Twofold Bay. Alexander Davidson came to Eden in the 1840s, and he and his son John began their own shore-based whaling in 1857. The family continued whaling from their station at Kiah Inlet, on the southern shore of the bay, for three generations, ending in the late 1920s. George Davidson, the last of the family's whaling leaders, became closely associated with the orcas.

How the partnership worked

According to local accounts recorded by the museum and the Eden Chamber of Commerce:

1. The orcas found the whales. Pods of killer whales patrolled the coast and herded migrating baleen whales towards Twofold Bay.
2. The orcas raised the alarm. Members of the pod swam to the mouth of the Kiah Inlet near the Davidson station and slapped their tails on the water, a behaviour known as flop-tailing, to alert the whalers.
3. The whalers launched their boats. Crews rowed out, guided by the orcas, which accompanied the boats during the chase.
4. The catch was shared. After a whale was killed, the whalers would traditionally let the orcas take the tongue and lips before towing the carcass ashore. This arrangement became known as the "law of the tongue".

Accounts also describe the whalers slapping their oars on the water if they lost sight of the orcas, and the orcas turning back to keep the boats on course.

Old Tom

Of the many orcas that hunted with Eden's whalers, Old Tom was the most famous. The Eden Killer Whale Museum describes him as about 22 feet (6.7 metres) long and weighing around six tons, recognisable by his tall dorsal fin. He led one of the pods, regularly flop-tailed at the mouth of the Kiah to signal a whale, and sometimes took a rope in his teeth to tow a boat. The wear patterns on his lower teeth are still visible on his skeleton.

The whalers regarded Tom as a character, sometimes playful and sometimes exasperating. He returned to Eden season after season, sometimes alone in later years, until his body was found floating in Twofold Bay on 17 September 1930.

How the partnership ended

By the 1920s, the orca pod had declined and shore-based whaling was no longer viable. The Davidson station ceased operations in the late 1920s. Old Tom's death in 1930 is often seen as the end of the era.

The Eden Killer Whale Museum

After Old Tom's death, local resident John Logan suggested preserving his skeleton for public display. George Davidson towed the body to the try-works at Kiah, where he and his son Wallace cleaned and prepared the bones. The skeleton was first shown in Logan's offices in Eden's main street while a museum was planned. The Eden Killer Whale Museum building was completed in 1938, and Old Tom was installed early in 1939.

Today, the museum is run by volunteers and tells the wider story of Eden and Twofold Bay, including whaling, the timber and fishing industries, and the region's maritime history. It famously sounds a siren to alert visitors when whales are sighted in the bay. Check current opening hours and entry details before visiting.

The Davidson Whaling Station today

The Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site on Kiah Inlet is managed by NSW National Parks. It includes the Davidson family's cottage and the site of the try-works where the whales were processed. It is a quiet, evocative place to reflect on the story. Check NPWS for current access and facilities.

Seeing whales around Eden today

Whaling ended long ago, and Twofold Bay is now one of the best places on the east coast to watch whales. Humpback whales pass the coast on their northern migration in early winter and return south in spring, when mothers and calves often rest in the sheltered waters of the bay. Southern right whales and orcas are seen occasionally. You can watch from the wharf, from headlands in Beowa National Park, or on a cruise. See our whale watching page.

Visiting Eden

Combine the museum with a walk along the wharf, a drive to the headlands of Beowa National Park, or the Light to Light Walk. The Eden place page has more on the town, and the Sapphire Coast hub covers the wider region.