Iconic blue whale skeleton back on display at WA Museum with new name

WA’s iconic blue whale skeleton has been named Otto in honour of the taxidermist who first salvaged and restored the animal’s bones when they were discovered on a Busselton beach at the mouth of the Vasse River near Busselton in 1897. Unveiled today, the 24m skeleton has been hung from the roof at the new museum and will serve as a major attraction when the facility opens in November. The much-loved exhibit has been in storage since 2003 but returns in an all new configuration, suspended from the ceiling in a “lunge-feeding” diving pose inside the heritage-listed Hackett Hall. It cost around $645,000 to create a bespoke metal frame for the skeleton and hoist it into place. Culture and Arts Minister David Templeman said the whale would take the name of the man primarily responsible for first realising its potential as a centrepiece exhibit. “The foresight of the museum’s taxidermist Otto Lipfert back in 1897, collecting and preserving the skeleton for the benefit of future generations, for us and for our children, was extraordinary,” Mr Templeman said. “Moving the skeleton up a beach by horse and cart to the Busselton Train Station, then packing it onto a train for Perth, where he reassembled it for public display is nothing short of incredible.” “Otto” was the successful entry chosen following a call for public submissions to name the four-tonne skeleton. Premier Mark McGowan said Otto was the only whale display of its kind anywhere in the world. “Free general admission for all visitors for the first 18 months at the new museum means thousands of people will have the opportunity to experience this truly unique display,” he said.