Leith Harbour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leith Harbour
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Leith Harbour whaling station in November 2007
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South Georgia settlements
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| Country |  United Kingdom |
| British Overseas Territory |  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
| Time zone | UTC−2 (GST) |
Leith Harbour (54°08′28″S 36°41′17″W / 54.141°S 36.688°W), also called Port Leith, was a very important whaling station. It was located on the northeast coast of South Georgia. A company from Edinburgh, Scotland, called Christian Salvesen Ltd, built and ran it.
The station was open from 1909 until 1965. It was the biggest of seven whaling stations on the island. You could find it close to the entrance of Stromness Bay. Leith Harbour got its name from Leith, which is the harbour area of Edinburgh. This was the hometown of Christian Salvesen.
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A Look Back: The History of Leith Harbour
South Georgia was once the world's main place for whaling. Many stations were built there to process whales. Leith Harbour was one of the most important ones. Other stations included Grytviken (1904–64) and Husvik (1910–60).
Japanese companies, Kokusai Gyogyo, Kabushike Kaisha, and Nippon Suisan Kaisha, rented Leith Harbour from 1963 to 1965. These were the last years that whaling happened in South Georgia.
Reindeer on the Island
In 1912, people tried to bring reindeer to South Georgia for the second time. They released them near Leith Harbour. Sadly, this attempt didn't work out. The whole group of reindeer was killed by a large avalanche in 1918.
Early Managers of the Station
Henrik Henriksen explored the area for Leith Harbour in 1908. He was the first manager of the whaling station. Later, Leganger Hansen took over in 1916. He stayed until 1937 and was even called the 'King of South Georgia'.
Leith Harbour During World War II
During the Second World War, most whaling stations closed down. Only Grytviken and Leith Harbour stayed open. Many whaling ships were destroyed by German raiders. Other ships were used by the Allied forces.
The British officials living on the island helped protect it. The Royal Navy sent a ship called Queen of Bermuda to patrol the waters. They also placed two large guns near Grytviken and Leith Harbour. These guns are still there today. Norwegian whalers volunteered to operate them.
A Royal Visit
In 1957, Prince Philip visited Leith Harbour. This was the only time a member of the Royal Family visited South Georgia.
The Falklands War and Leith Harbour
The Falklands War began in March 1982. About fifty Argentines arrived at the empty Leith Harbour whaling station. They pretended to be scrap metal buyers. However, they came on a ship chartered by the Argentine Government.
On March 25, 1982, 32 special forces troops from Corbeta Uruguay were brought to Leith Harbour by an Argentine Navy ship.
On April 25, 1982, the Royal Navy damaged and captured the Argentine submarine Santa Fé near South Georgia. The Argentine soldiers in Grytviken surrendered without fighting. The group in Leith Harbour, led by their commander, surrendered the next day.
Leith Harbour Today
If you visit Leith Harbour today, you can still see some things from its past. There is a gun on the hill behind the station. Another gun is at Hansen Point, still in its original spot.
Leith Harbour used to have many facilities for the whalers. It had a hospital, a library, and even a cinema. There was also a small railway. The main graveyard is in the center of Leith Harbour. A second, larger cemetery is behind the station. The station also had a factory and a platform for processing whales.
Since 2010, people are not allowed to go into the station. This is because of dangers like asbestos and buildings that could collapse.
The song "The Little Pot Stove" is about Leith Harbour and the hard lives of the whalers. It was written by Harry Robertson, who used to be a whaling engineer.
See also
- Christian Salvesen Ltd
- Coronda Peak
- History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
