Ake Ronngren

Ake Ronngren was born in Sweden on 11 August 1882. He signed on with the Western Australian Whaling Company in Norway and boarded the whaling processing boat SS Perth bound for Point Cloates, Western Australia.

The Perth was accompanied by a second whale factory schooner, the Prince George, and together the vessels brought 350 men to Point Cloates. Half of the men were tradesmen and labourers, although they were all signed on as seamen. Their wages were withheld until they were discharged on their return to Norway. They had access to the slop chest [a store aboard a vessel that sold the crew clothing and personal items during long voyages] although those costs placed the crew in debt to the company.

The Perth sailed via Albany, where Ake was prevented from leaving the steamer as he was registered as a prohibited immigrant due to mental health issues. In fact, Ake did not have poor mental health, he experienced epileptic episodes. Despite knowing Ake had epilepsy he was expected to carry out tasks aboard ship that were dangerous for him.

The Perth and Prince George generally moored three miles offshore where the crew flensed the whales that were brought in by four whale chaser boats. At 3.30pm they stopped work for a half hour coffee break in the mess.

At 3.45pm on 3 July 1915 Ake was seen on the poop deck. Later Ludvik Larsen stated he saw Ake and passingly thought Ake had no tasks on that deck, but dismissed it since he was served coffee, and had his own tasks to do. He went with first Mate Erik Eriksen to drop the stern anchor and then help with the bow moorings.

At 4.30pm Ludvik and Erik descended from the poop deck to the hold. They found Ake lying at the bottom of the ladder, and from the way he was lying unconscious it was clear he had fallen.

Efforts to revive him failed. Captain Gustav Bruun Bull sent immediately for the company doctor, a medical student called Harald Ulrich Svendrup. Harald had just gone ashore but returned immediately to attend Ake.

It was clear Ake had a fracture at the base of his skull. His head had struck the iron rim around the opening of the hold. He had a cut near his swollen left eye, and there was blood coming from his nose. Dr Svendrup realised his injuries were fatal and had him moved to a cabin.

There were Swedish countrymen aboard Perth, and they offered to sit with Ake. They rotated two men at a time, making sure Ake was not alone. Johan Oluwesen and Martin Johansson were beside him at 3.35am on 4 July when he died.

Dr Svendrup wrote the medical certificate. With agreement from the crew, he thought Ake had experienced an epileptic episode, had fallen from the poop deck to the hold causing fatal head injuries.

The Carnarvon police were informed of Ake’s death, and the Norwegian Consul Mr Stang in Fremantle was informed. The company did not accept much responsibility for family contact, and the Consul was left to contact Ake’s family in Sweden.

Ake was in debt to the Western Australian Whaling Company for advances to his pay and access to the slop chest. He had been in Western Australia for less than a year. The company auctioned his clothes and personal possessions aboard the Perth and sent the money raised to the Norwegian Consul for transfer to his next of kin.

Ake was a single whaling man who had no relatives in Western Australia. He was 32 when he died. As was the custom in the hot climate, he was buried quickly.

On 5 July 1915 he was interred on top of a sandhill 100 yards south of the onshore whaling station. There is a wooden cross where he is buried, almost invisible in the seagrass and sand. There are the names of three men who died at Point Cloates engraved in the cross, with the words Here below at rest – Ake Ronngren, born in Sweden, died 1915.There are two more whalers mentioned on the cross; a Norwegian and a Swede who were buried in the same sandhill.