Kōrero: Whaling

Whales were hunted primarily for their oil. Sperm whales were an especially valuable catch because their head cavities held a white spermaceti oil that could be used to make high-quality candles. These burned with a bright light and gave off no odour. Price’s, who made these candles, now held in the Whanganui Museum, were a leading manufacturer of candles in Victorian England.