Michael Fowler: Ocean giant created whale of a stink in Napier

This whale carcase on south Marine Parade beach was rapidly relegated from item of interest to "odoriferous presence". Photo / Collection of Hawke's Bay Museums Trust

On April 19, 1920, Napierites awoke to find a mighty whale dead on the south Marine Parade beach.

It was 63 feet (19 metres) in length and estimated to be between 40 and 50 tonnes (36-45,000kg) in weight and around 100 years old.

The giant of the deep was thought to have been dead for about a week before it ended up on the beach.

At first great excitement was had by the Napierites about their gift from the sea and a half-holiday was given so school children could examine the "monster".

However, because the whale had been dead for some time the residents across the road were "receiving the benefit of this".

On April 22, children from Taradale School were taken to see the creature but they didn't stay long because the "perfume proved too much for the youngsters".

The Daily Telegraph reported that the residents nearby had "never been so frantic for a westerly wind, and today their joy knew no bounds when the wind turned southwesterly and they were able to continue their deep breathing exercises with a certain amount of comfort".

With the amusement factor of the large whale now well and truly overtaken by the smell of its rotting carcase, the Napierites pondered how to get rid of it.

One idea suggested was to cut up the monster and boil it down for its oil.

A few years earlier, when a smaller whale washed up at Awatoto, this is what had occurred. But for some reason the government would not allow the oil to be sold.

Therefore, the only man capable of boiling down the whale refused to have anything to do with it.

The Napierites then agreed that because the whale was below the high-water mark it was the harbour board's problem.

Therefore, it was decided the harbour board dredge JDO would attempt to tow the carcase out to sea.

A large steel cable was put around the mammal, but all that occurred was the whale developed "a pronounced waist" when pulled from the beach.

Another attempt to return the whale to the sea in this way was made at the next high tide, but this also failed.

It was then resolved to blow up the carcase by means of several sticks of gelignite at 10 the next night – but all this did was to blow a big hole in its head and body – almost dividing it in two.

After that, and under the supervision of the fire brigade's Mr Pickering, several barrels of tar and benzine (petrol) were placed on and around the whale and set alight.

It slowly burned, but "great masses of putrefying red flesh hardly seemed to be touched".

After the burning failed, the solution was to bury it on the beach, taking many men to do so.

The whale, however, was not yet finished with the people of Napier.

A month later, heavy seas unearthed what was left of the rotting carcase, which was now about 60 feet (18 metres) long and 3 feet (just under a metre) high.

The smell was once again objectionable to those living nearby.

A large quantity of benzine was poured on the remains and set alight, with tar thrown on to assist with the burning, which resulted in great clouds of black smoke.

This at last achieved success, with the Daily Telegraph reporting "the residents of Napier South will be extremely glad when the whale is only a memory".

• Michael Fowler is taking a walking and bus tour, and other rail and walking tours of Hastings Art Deco during the Tremains 2018 Art Deco Festival. Bookings at iTicket. He is also speaking at 10am, Friday, February 16, at the Century Theatre, MTG, on the topic "Post-1931 Marine Parade: The beginning of Napier's Playground". Entry by gold coin donation.

• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is an EIT accounting lecturer, and in his spare time a recorder of Hawke's Bay's history.