This week I’m going to kick off the first of the ‘Places to Go! Things to See!’ feature where I’ll detail and review somewhere that’s fun, interesting and has great educational value for students. This feature looks at galleries, museums, historic sites and cultural activities that you can do around Australia. Each feature is based upon my own experience and won’t be some crappy rehash of someone else’s website or tourist information blurb.
The first port of call (so to speak), is the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum. Tucked away on the South Coast near Huskisson, the museum is a great historic collection that details the settlement history of the local area. From aboriginal heritage, to Governor Macquarie’s explorers, to the famous Lady Denman Ferry lovingly restored by locals, the museum is a fantasic opportunity for students to explore the development of a regional community.
There are four main gallery areas in the museum:
1. The Lady Denman Ferry
2. Settlement & Development of Jervis Bay
3. Science & The Sea (a great private collection of rare naval artefacts)
4. Visiting exhibits
The Lady Denman Ferry is a commuter ferry, built in Huskisson, that was in service in Sydney from 1911 to 1979! The ferry transported passengers from Circular Quay to smaller inner harbour wharves such as Cremorne and Mosman. It has a fascinating and controversial story to its return to Huskisson, which basically involved commandeering the boat in the dead of night and sneaking it out of Sydney Harbour, then needing a naval escort when entering Jervis Bay to protect it from the raging seas that were mercilessly pounding the vessel under tow. The fact that it made it back home to Huskisson at all, was a remarkable feat in itself. Not to mention the huge community effort it took to restore this ferry to its former glory.
Other random notable facts I found out here include that most of the area around Jervis Bay is named after naval officers involved in the famous Battle of Cape St. Vincent, with the exception of Huskisson, which is named after an English politician whose main claim to fame is being the first person ever to be killed by a steam train. Not the greatest thing to be remembered for, but hey it just goes to show politicians will do anything for attention.
One of the other galleries has a fantastic collection of naval swords, flintlock firearms, sextants, and artworks depicting the early arrival of ships and explorers to Jervis Bay and the Shoalhaven region.
The other gallery is for touring exhibits, so it could be filled with anything from visiting art works, photos or other interesting artifacts. It’s best to check the museum’s website for upcoming exhibitions. I was fortunate one time to see an amazing collection of Arthur Boyd’s works on display here!
Excursion Rating:
The Jervis Bay Maritime Museum is well worth the visit! It’s great for students studying local history or community development as part of the geography syllabus. For a community run museum in a small coastal town, the Jarvis Bay Maritime Museum houses an amazing collection. It’s been carefully and thoughtfully curated and shows how the formation of a region has played an important part in the history of our nation.
The museum is run by a wonderful group of friendly volunteers and they’ll even provide a guide for your school booking.
Important Fast Facts:
Location: 11 Dent St, Huskisson NSW 2540, Australia
Open Daily: 10am – 4pm
Entrance & Parking: – Woollamia Rd, Huskisson, NSW, 2540
P: (02) 4441 5675
E: enquiries@jbmm.asn.au
School Education Entry:
$5 – guided tour
$3 – self-guided tour
Curriculum area(s):
History
Geography
Year Levels:
Upper Primary
Junior Secondary
Closest Decent Coffee:
5 Little Pigs Huskisson
This is the pick of coffee in town, I’ll rate this 7/10 beans. It’s nice, but not consistent. I’ve had many coffees from this café. Some a really good, others a bit meh, but none really bad. The food however, is amazing!!!! Definitely worth having breakfast or lunch here whilst someone else is looking after the kids!