Whaling decline 1839 to 1847
The report cites 23 boats and 466 tuns at the 1839 peak; by 1847, three boats and 29 tuns. It identifies a whaling station at Wharemauku pā near Raumati.
The historical record
Whaling decline 1839 to 1847 — Greater Wellington, Queen Elizabeth Park Resource Statement (2008), section 1.2 — The report cites 23 boats and 466 tuns at the 1839 peak; by 1847, three boats and 29 tuns. It identifies a whaling station at Wharemauku pā near Raumati.
From boom to contraction
The documented figures show a sharp change in the Kāpiti–Mana whaling economy. In 1839, six establishments operated 23 boats and produced 466 tuns of black oil. In 1844, a return listed seven boats at two stations; in 1847, two stations operated three boats and produced 29 tuns. Those records show falling recorded activity without establishing the fate of every individual worker or family.
What happened to the places?
The change was not uniform. Prickett identifies Tokomapuna as the most productive station in 1839, Long Point in 1841, and Waiorua thereafter. This movement in relative importance suggests why station-by-station stories are more illuminating than a single regional total. Source: Nigel Prickett, The Archaeology of New Zealand Shore Whaling (2002), pp.83–97, citing Dieffenbach and Wakefield.