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Australia is the world’s major producer of white South Sea pearls, for during the 1998 season the tropical waters off northern Australia yielded ~ 60 per cent of total world production of these much desired and very valuable bead-nucleated cultured pearls.
White South Sea pearls are large (>10 mm diameter) rounded, lustrous, white, silvery, cream, or golden pearls that are cultivated by man in the gold- and silver-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) that is indigenous to the off-shore waters of northern Australia. Other white South Sea pearls produced by the Australian pearling industry include ‘accidental’ whole baroque keshi pearls, and cultured bead nucleated half pearls that are commonly termed mabés.
The white South Sea pearl is a comparative newcomer to Australia’s pearling industry, for the history of this primary industry stretches back for well over a century to the time when Australia was one of the major supplier of natural pearls to European and American markets. |
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 Northern Territory
The Northern Territory also has a long history of pearling, with records indicating the schooner Sree Pas Sair recovered pearl shell from Darwin Harbour in 1884. Darwin soon became the pearling capital of the Northern Territory. As the stocks of pearl shell were rapidly depleted from Darwin Harbour, pearling spread along the coast of Melville Island to Cape Keith.
The Western grounds, which were discovered near Bathurst Island around 1929-1930, were fished out by 1939. Some four decades later (1936), the Eastern grounds off Boucat Bay were discovered. However, by mid 1950 this fishery also was no longer commercially viable.
Presently, pearl culture operations in the Northern Territory are centred on the Coburg Peninsula, to the north-west of Darwin. Pearl cultivation also occurs in Darwin and Bynoe Harbours.
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