The Dent family

 1861. Tall, straight timber and the deep harbour attracted George Dent to Jervis Bay.



George Dent senior.

Huskisson once had a thriving shipbuilding industry, ships of all sizes were launched at the ship building operation on the banks of Currambene Creek operated by George Dent.

The museum has a fantastic display of tools and photographs from the era. The floor of the display is made in the same fashion and materials as the decks of the ships built at Huskisson.

George Dent Junior.

George Dent moved his family from the Georges River area to Huskisson in 1861. George had been a timber-getter for the boat-builders on the Georges River in Sydney. Two of his sons, George Junior and Joseph became boat builders while his other two sons, James and William worked in the bush finding and felling the right timber for the boatbuilding.
William Wood joined George Dent Senior in the first shipyard, and later set up his own yard with other shipwrights joining them over the years. In the 1880s, George Dent Junior set up a new yard, and at the turn of the century, Joseph Dent did likewise. It was in his shipyard that the Lady Denman was built.

 
Joseph Dent on the left and his shipbuilding crew.