Sources of Meat in Colonial Diets: Faunal Evidence from Two Nineteenth Century Tasmanian Whaling Stations

The analysis of faunal assemblages from two nineteenth century Tasmanian whaling stations provides information about meat in colonial diets. The assemblages include a combination of native mammal, bird, and fish species and European domesticates. The presence of diverse native species indicates occasional opportunistic hunting rather than a significant incorporation of local fauna in the subsistence system. The bulk of meat consumed was beef, pork, and mutton. Element representation and documentary evidence suggests that while the pork was almost certainly salted, the beef was a combination of fresh and preserved meat, and the mutton was fresh meat prepared locally. This analysis has implications for understanding colonial herd development and provisioning systems for maritime industries.