Australia investigating possibilities of a commercial sea elephant oil industry according to the Australian newspaper The Townsville Daily Bulletin dated Wednesday 2 June 1948

In a newsitem dated Hobart 1 June it was reporte that sea elephant bulls which did not succeed in collecting a harem were killed at Heard Island due to the plans if an oil industry was possble. Premier Cosgrove was informed by the Federal Government that this was done by land-based parties at Heard and Macquarie Islands which surveyed the herds. At the moment existed only on South Georgia a commercial sea elephant oil industry.