Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket

Dateafter 1853

Object number00006580

NameRifle

MediumWood, steel, brass

DimensionsOverall: 60 x 402 x 186 mm, 3.6 kg

ClassificationsArmament

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThe Enfield Pattern 1853 Rifled Musket was a .577 calibre muzzle-loading rifled musket, issued throughout the British Empire between 1853 and 1867. These rifles were used throughout the Australian colonies, and were issued in large quantities by colonial militia in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. This example is believed to have been used aboard a whaling vessel.HistoryWhaling has been an important industry for many cultures for centuries. Whaling provided the first fishing industry and the first exports for the colony of NSW in 1791. During the 1800s a variety of whale species were a valuable resource with their oil used in lamp fuel, lubricants and candles, their baleen in corsets and buggy whips and their ambergris in perfumes and soaps. Whaling became more industrialised as technology advanced, with the consequence of smaller whale populations each year. During the twentieth century, the industry became more controversial and controlled with quotas set for countries and cultures. Nations are generally divided into pro- and anti-whaling factions, with whale populations closely monitored by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). By 1978, whale products were no longer needed and Australia banned whaling and the import of whale products. It now supports the goal of a global ban on whaling.SignificanceThis is an example of a rifle used for hunting large marine animals, and is representative of the whaling industry.