Fight with a shark in Geelong Bay

Publisher Australasian Sketcher (1873 - 1889)

Artist Julian Rossi Ashton (Australian, 1851 - 1942)

Date5 November 1881

Object number00006064

NameEngraving

MediumPaper

DimensionsOverall: 286 x 387 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineANMM Collection

Collections

Sharks

Terms

DescriptionCover of the Australasian Sketcher, Saturday 5 November 1881, featuring an engraving titled 'Fight with a shark in Geelong Bay'. HistoryAn accompanying article recounts the fisherman's tale of capturing the 'monster': "The incident depicted in our engraving is thus described by the correspondent of a Melbourne contemporary: - On Sunday October 16, a large shark was captured at Geelong by three fishermen. It appears that for several months it has been known to be hanging about Corio Bay, and making the port of Geelong its especial feeding ground. A few days ago the monster became so daring as to break into a strong sea net, the property of Mr Sager, through which it seems to have rushed with the greatest of ease, completely destroying it. On Friday last it came close to the pier and swallowed a baited hook, which unfortunately slipped after holding for about five minutes. On Sunday morning three fishermen, named Geo. Daniels, Richard Gilberts, and Peter Alexander, went out with the intention of bringing the monster in, as its experience on Friday did not seem to have frightened it in the least, his dorsal fin being seen continually from the shore. They had caught a small shark the previous evening, and with this they baited the hook, dropping it to the bottom so as to bring the creature up, if possible, near enough to use the harpoon. This, after some little time, they succeeded in doing. Geo. Daniels states: -"When he came up to the small shark he turned on his side, and my mate Gilbert sent the harpoon into him well back from the head; the harpoon is a patent one, with a toggle, and opens when there is any strain on the line. It held well. Directly he was wounded he struck the boat with his nose and sounded, taking out almost 50 fathoms of line. I then tried to take the slack, when he suddenly appeared on the surface, and made straight at the bow of the boat, which he seized by the cutwater and shook like a dog shaking a cat, tearing splinters off. Meanwhile Gilbert drove the lance into him half a dozen or more times, and I put a paddle in his mouth to lever it open. He let go the boat, but held on to the paddle, which he waved about like a feather, but eventually dropped. He then started off just below the surface, towing the boat rapidly through the water, and we had to pay out fast to keep her bow from going under. He got tired of that and again sounded. I began to take in the slack line, and he came again for the boat, when Gilbert managed to send the lance well into him two or three times. It took us a good hour to make him quiet enough to tow into port, which, after two hours hard pulling, with the assistance of more men and another boat, we managed to do." The shark's dimensions were to follow; - Length, 13 ft., 8 in; girth, 11 ft., 6 in, in front of the dorsal fin; distance between flukes of tail, 3 ft. 11in. Contents of stomach; - Dogs, cats, and sacks. There are also stones, which had evidently been used in sacks to sink dead animals. It is the species known as the blue-backed ground shark, which is the well-known terror of sailors and all swimmers in tropical waters, who stand little chance when once in the grip of one of these monsters."SignificanceThe engraving refers to a 'monster' shark who seems to have settled for a time in the bay and the efforts by fishermen George Daniels, Richard Gilberts and Peter Alexander to capture it. It took a few hours to bring the shark in and at one stage it attacked the boat by the cutwater and 'shook like a dog shaking a cat'.