In isolation 60 kilometres north of Coral Bay, lays a lonely cement headstone of 3 young north European sailors. Hidden and undisturbed on a remote sand dune on Ningaloo Station.

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"Here below at rest - Ake Ronngren, born in Sweden, died
1915 - Ingvald Halvorsen, born 1893 in Norway, died 1913 - GH Nordstrom, born 1887 in Sweden, died 1914."

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These young men lost their lives far from home, on the opposite side of the world from their families and loved ones and a century later still remain in a location of isolation at their rarely visited memorial. The three deaths occurred while the men worked for the West Australian Whaling Company that operated in the North West from 1912 to 1919. No detail is known of the death of Ingvald Halvorsen, but it was recorded the Ake Ronngren died of a concussion after a year on the West Australian coast and Gustaf Helmer Nordstrom, a Swedish sailor, drowned on 18th of July 1915.

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The West Australian Whaling Company established the Norwegain Bay whaling station in 1915 and operated until the closure of their lease in 1919.

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References: Coate, Yvonne & Kevin, More Lonely Graves of Western Australia, Hesperian Press, Perth, 2000, p.160.

Hertitage Council of Western Australia: Register of Heritage Places - Assess Doc’n Norwegian Bay Whaling Station (ruins) 22/08/2006