From Extraction to Protection

Blueback

This flow follows the Jackson family’s changing relationship with ocean resources, from subsistence and whaling history toward an ethic of protection.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Working Coast A Working Coast from "Blueback". A Working Coast Household use The Jacksons gather Abalone and fish, grow fruit and vegetables, and use marine material to support their household.

A Working Coast from "Blueback". A Working Coast Household use The Jacksons gather Abalone and fish, grow fruit and vegetables, and use marine material to support their household.

A Working Coast Household use The Jacksons gather Abalone and fish, grow fruit and vegetables, and use marine material to support their household. Their livelihood depends on taking from the sea. Restraint Dora and Abel take only some Abalone from each clump, leaving others to grow and breed. Use is balanced by care.

Whaling Inheritance Whaling Inheritance from "Blueback". Whaling Inheritance Bones exposed A storm strips away sand and reveals whale bones from the Jacksons’ whaling past.

Whaling Inheritance from "Blueback". Whaling Inheritance Bones exposed A storm strips away sand and reveals whale bones from the Jacksons’ whaling past.

Whaling Inheritance Bones exposed A storm strips away sand and reveals whale bones from the Jacksons’ whaling past. Dora sees evidence of how the family’s land was financed. Moral reckoning The bones make history physically present. Dora recognizes that dependence on the sea has also involved taking life from it.

A Warning in the Water A Warning in the Water from "Blueback". A Warning in the Water Ecological uncertainty The Pilchards die without an obvious cause, and later signs of environmental change trouble Dora.

A Warning in the Water from "Blueback". A Warning in the Water Ecological uncertainty The Pilchards die without an obvious cause, and later signs of environmental change trouble Dora.

A Warning in the Water Ecological uncertainty The Pilchards die without an obvious cause, and later signs of environmental change trouble Dora. Ordinary appearances can conceal broad damage. Responsibility Abel begins to understand that the sea requires observation and care, not simply exploitation. Mystery intensifies the need for stewardship.

A Place Protected A Place Protected from "Blueback". A Place Protected Legal change Longboat Bay becomes a marine sanctuary. The designation limits harmful activity and gives the ecosystem formal protection.

A Place Protected from "Blueback". A Place Protected Legal change Longboat Bay becomes a marine sanctuary. The designation limits harmful activity and gives the ecosystem formal protection.

A Place Protected Legal change Longboat Bay becomes a marine sanctuary. The designation limits harmful activity and gives the ecosystem formal protection. A new family role Abel and Stella stay to help supervise the bay. Their scientific work now serves a place whose value exceeds its commercial use.

Life Returns Life Returns from "Blueback". Life Returns Ecological recovery Fish stocks grow, seagrass and coral thrive, and Abalone flourish within the protected water.

Life Returns from "Blueback". Life Returns Ecological recovery Fish stocks grow, seagrass and coral thrive, and Abalone flourish within the protected water.

Life Returns Ecological recovery Fish stocks grow, seagrass and coral thrive, and Abalone flourish within the protected water. Sea lions return to Robbers Head after a long absence. Shared benefit Visitors see a rich ecosystem, while nearby waters benefit from breeding life moving beyond the sanctuary. Protection becomes a practical form of care for the wider coast.

During Abel’s childhood

When a storm uncovers the shore

After the mass fish deaths

After Dora’s letter campaign succeeds

In the years after the sanctuary is established