A restoration project designed to bring a historic Montague Whaler back to its former glory is nearing completion.
When the Royal Geelong Yacht Club Skiff Builders offered a partially restored Montague Whaler to members of the Western Beach Boat Club in 2022, they decided it would be a good project to take on.
According to boat club member, Bill Ethel, the Whalers once played a key role in our naval history.
The Whalers were used in conflict and also for transferring people from the ship to the shore. They were certainly used at Gallipoli.
The Whaler was built in New Zealand in 1942 from native Kauri timber and then transported to Australia on a New Zealand war ship. When inflatable boats were introduced in the seventies, the boat was retired from active service. While the Williamstown naval cadets used it for a period of time, the boat eventually fell into a state of disrepair.
Despite putting hundreds and hundreds of hours into restoring the boat, the project had reached a point where the club needed extra funds to complete it.
It was pretty far gone.
The club successfully applied for a grant from the City of Greater Geelong and, at the time of writing, were planning to complete the project by the end of summer.
While the boat will be one of only three operational naval Whalers in Australia, there are no plans to turn it into a museum piece. Instead, the club plan to invite interested community members in to learn how to row it.
Fellow boat club member Paul Donnellan said,
To row such a vessel involves skill and timing, while working together.
It teaches the important skill of teamwork. It’s a special and unique way to bring people together and share a common goal, interact, and socialise in a healthy way.
The Western Beach Boat Club received a $10,000 grant to help complete the Montague Whaler as part of our Community Grants program.
Application dates for the 2023 round of grants will be confirmed by early May.