South Georgia

This image shows Leith Harbour whaling station at South Georgia. From left to right you can see the piggery where they kept pigs for fresh meat, some stores and a garage and the slaughter house. Behind this is a large building which was one of the Barracks where the men stayed. The large building with the white gable end facing the camera was the hospital and they had excellent facilities. In the background on the left you can see a series of chimneys from the boiler house which powered the plant which processed the whale to extract oil. You can also see a very large tank and this was the pump house.  The stations were pretty self-sufficient, having everything they needed to maintain and repair machinery and ships as well as having everything that was needed to sustain the hundreds of men who worked there.  There was even a cinema, a football pitch and a library as part of the recreation facilities although many men were working 12 hours days.

This is a very typical view of South Georgia with the mountains jutting straight up from the sea.

This images shows a large whale on the flensing plan, possibly at Leith Harbour, South Georgia.

Shows King Penguins in an enclosure at Leith Harbour. The whales ate penguin eggs, and occasionally penguin meat but they also brought penguins back to the Zoo in Edinburgh. In the background you can see a large oil tank (with the conical roof) and many barrels stacked up.