Jervis Bay Maritime Museum & Gallery — Attraction in Huskisson

Jervis Bay Maritime Museum 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: The Lady Denman Ferry Settlement & Development of Jervis Bay Science & The Sea (a great private collection of rare naval artefacts) 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...

I got the feeling that the place has much more potential than what it is.. half of the exhibition is closed and one room had audio only without video. With the knowledge and experience NSW has in boating I thought there would be something more fun.. maybe interactive workshop or lessons for boating, water games or something that would make you want to come again.. I'm afraid the exhibition is less than average and not much more.. after our visit we sat outside thinking to ourselves this can be so much more - maybe even just a Meetup place for boat lovers who want to create or share their knowledge/experiences. As an ex navy I see it as an obligation to visit any Martine museum I run into, I'd definitely come again when the kids are older see what else the place offer...

Barely ten minutes from St Georges Basin at Huskisson you can immerse yourself in Jervis Bay’s rich maritime past.

There’s plenty of information here about the area’s Aboriginal population, their lifestyle and customs across thousands of years of pre-European history, and the ups and downs through post-colonial marginalisation and the Aboriginal land rights movement.

There are fascinating accounts and artefacts from the many shipwrecks on the perilous South Coast, and you’ll get the inside track on the abandoned 19th-century lighthouse at Cape St George.

The undoubted star of the show is the Lady Denman ferry, built in 1911 just a few short steps from the maritime museum, and now being restored to its 1960s heyday as part of the Sydney...