Eden Killer Whale Museum: The remarkable tale of Old Tom

The Eden Killer Whale Museum on NSW’s Sapphire Coast celebrates Old Tom, the orca who teamed up with the whalers of Twofold Bay.

The Eden Killer Whale Museum in Eden, NSW, breaks the general mould of regional Australian museums by being rather interesting. Here, the usual diet of old farming machinery is ditched in favour of tales of Eden’s former whaling industry.

The centrepiece of the Eden Killer Whale Museum is Old Tom. Or, rather, the skeleton of Old Tom.

He was the leader of an orca pack that struck up a remarkable relationship with the whalers of Twofold Bay.

The story of Old Tom the orca

Old Tom and his team quickly learned that there was food to be had around the whaling station at Kiah Inlet. They would sometimes seize the ship’s harpoon line.

Before too long, the whalers realised that the orcas were only after the whale’s tongue and lips. Given these were no use to the whalers, they would leave the dead whale in the water, anchored and buoyed. The orcas would then eat the tongue and lips before the rest of the carcass was hauled out of the water.

In return, the orcas would go and hunt down the migrating whales and shepherd them into Twofold Bay for the whalers to capture.

Foundation of the Eden Killer Whale Museum

This remarkable symbiotic relationship when Old Tom died. His body was found floating in the bay in 1930. Not a single orca returned for the next whaling season, and the whaling station shut down that year.

Old Tom’s skeleton was preserved, though, and the first incarnation of the Eden Killer Whale Museum opened the next year.

The Eden Killer Whale Museum isn’t just about the killer whales, however. It also looks at the history of the Sapphire Coast region and the local Aboriginal culture. There’s also a mock lighthouse attached to the building.

Eden Killer Whale Museum entry price

Entrance to the Eden Killer Whale Museum costs $12 for adults and $5 for children. For opening times, visit the museum website.

Other things to do in Eden include exploring Twofold Bay with Cat Balou Cruises, swimming in the Aslings Beach Rock Pool and walking the Pinnacles Loop track in the Beowa National Park.

More New South Wales South Coast travel

Take the Husky Ferry from Myola to Huskisson.

Go walking in Mimosa Rocks National Park near Bega.

Visit Potoroo Palace on the Bega to Merimbula drive.

Go on a Jervis Bay dolphin cruise from Huskisson.

See kangaroos at the Pambula caravan park in Pambula.