After operation successfully from 1951 to 1955, the Carnarvon station was sold to Nor'-West Whaling Company, which then closed its station at Point Cloates and concentrated ships, equipment, men and quotas at Carnarvon. Whaling was also revived at Norfolk Island, a small but efficient station opening there in August 1956. The annual catches of humpback whales at each of these whaling stations are listed below. In New Zealand the station in Tory Channel has continued operating each winter, in fact it has not missed a season in the past fifty years. Another small station on Great Barrier Island took a few whales in 1956 and 1957, then was re-opened in 1959 by another company with better success.
Present day whaling round the islands of Tonga is a fascinating relic of the past.
Here the natives hunt whales in old style long boats and use hand harpoons and lances copied faithfully from visiting whaleships last century. Post-war Australian whaling has been highly efficient, an average of just over ten tons of oil per whale being achieved by some stations. Several stations have used aircraft, working in radio contact with the chasers, in quickly locating suitable whales and even directing the chase from the air. We had hoped to achieve stability in humpback whaling, but the difficulties of establishing and maintaining proper international controls were not overcome. The problems involved in obtaining international agreement upon whaling on the high seas, discussed by professor Dakin in his final chapter have continued to haunt us though many efforts have been made to reach agreement on the rational exploitation of remaining stocks of whales.