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HOME OF THE LADY DENMAN - Local history isn't always about the big story - the everyday story of life in the early development of the region can be a fascinating, entertaining and educational journey.

25 February 2019

Captain Point, Jervis Bay

The year was 1913, Jervis Bay was about to see the most dramatic change since the arrival of Europeans.  After years of heated debate the decision of the location for the new Australian Naval College was finally made by the Government.


1913 - Work on the Naval College began, the bush was cleared, men were being employed in all the trades required for building.  A tent city for the workers had sprung up in the bush at Captains Point. The conditions were hard and wearing on the workers.   The project was having trouble attracting the highly skilled engineers they needed for the project because the wage the government was willing to pay for their service was well below what they could earn in the private sector.




January 15 – Steamers were the vital link between Captains Point and the outside world. The steamer Hillsmead was loaded at Port Kembla with 16000 bricks ready to be shipped to the Naval College.


June 1913 - After a long search, a new engineer from Tasmania accepted the position at 450 pounds per annum, quite a considerable difference to the 1200 pounds he could make for a few months work in the private sector.


The new college required the shipment of large amounts of building material. When the building work commenced there was no direct and passable road link, most goods arriving by steamer.




June 1913 -  two steamers were in the bay, the S.S. Seagull and the S.S. Hillsmeads, the latter was built by the Dents at Huskisson in 1907. The local agent Captain Bavestock was kept busy supervising the delivery of goods at both Captains Point and Huskisson wharf. The vessels carried a large and mixed cargo, Bricks, timber and cement being the main load, the cement would be contained in casks numbering up to 300.



By June the site was undergoing a complete transformation. The once quiet untouched bush was giving away to buildings.  The ring from anvils, clangs from hammers, the shriek from saws and machinery rang out all over the point and across the bay.

The Government store on site stocked everything needed for the building, locks, ironmongery, timber.

April 1913 - With the completion of the road survey work would soon start on the much-needed road link from Jervis Bay to Captains Point  The building of the college attracted the attention of speculators, sites for business were designed and measured. At the time a trial survey of the proposed rail line between Jervis Bay and the site for the Federal Capital was being considered.

September 1913 - As work continued the isolation for the men was broken from time to time with visits from the Nowra contingent of the Salvation Army who would entertain the men with song and music, a welcome distraction from the isolation and hard work.

While construction was being carried out, many of the men working on the project had their wives and children staying at the site. A temporary teacher was appointed to the Captain's Point site, with a permanent teacher and building to be allocated when the Naval College was complete.


1914 - Another year had passed and work was well underway with many of the building nearing completion,  Despite the well-used road link to Jervis Bay and Nowra, steamers were still the most economical and easiest way to ship large quantities of goods to Captains Point.

December 1914 - six or seven shiploads of machinery arrived on site.
By years end there were 400 men working at the site.


Work continued.




















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24 February 2019

Latest comments.

K Investments has left a new comment on your post "Black Diamonds Jervis Bay.":
Very interesting story of coal mining :-)

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Great to read about this information, thanks for sharing.
Dubai.


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22 February 2019

James Craig – Cape St George Lighthouse


20Feb 2019.

I was recently standing atop the cliff in front of the ruins of the Cape St George Lighthouse and was lucky enough to get a photograph of the 19th Century square rigger James Craig passing by on her voyage from Hobart to Sydney.  This sort of scene would have been common to the original lighthouse keepers manning the lighthouse from 1860 until it's decommissioning in 1899.  Besides maintaining the lighthouse the keepers had the responsibility of monitoring all passing ships. Communication between the ships and the lighthouse before wireless was via flags of different designs and colours hoisted high on the ships rigging and displayed on the flagstaff which stood in clear view beside the lighthouse near the cliff edge.  When the telegraph was connected they reported all ship movements to Greenwell Point Pilot Station, from there the information was passed on to Sydney.  Many of the ship movements were posted in the Sydney newspapers.


Continue reading about Cape St George.



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11 February 2019

A Sailors plight.

Jervis Bay, known for its beautiful serenity has had its share of tragic incidents which has resulted in the death of sailors.  

Marked by a headstone, the most well known would be the grave of the 19-year-old sailor Robert Johnson who drowned in Jervis Bay in 1892.  The headstone sits atop the small headland known as Tapalla Point ( sailors by the locals) and is passed every year by hundreds of people walking along the footpath winding its way around the top of the shoreline.


At this time there are two known graves sites in the grounds of the Trinity Church in Huskisson, possibly more.  One was reported to be of King Billy the chief of the Jervis Bay Aboriginal tribe, he died in the 1920's. The other is of Carl Niclasson a sailor off the whaling ship Loc Tay who died under mysterious circumstances.  The graves have disappeared over the years. Quite recently I went looking for the graves, I hunted around the grounds of the church, I spoke to people associated with the church, but no one I spoke to knew where they were located.

Carl Niclasson.
Searching for information on his death I came upon a newspaper article written in the Nowra Leader in 1912., about the death and subsequent burial of Carl Niclasson.

Carl Carl Niclasson, aged 33, a native of Golsburg, Sweden,  was a seaman aboard the whaling factory ship Loch Tay.  in 1912 the whale factory ship Loch Tay and her smaller whale hunting ships were operating from Jervis Bay.

Niclasson was onboard a small motor launch travelling between Huskisson wharf and the Loch Tay.  He had been drinking and was in fine spirits and good health the night before.  Niclasson was sitting down in the launch with two other men when he dropped down from the seat, this didn't alarm anyone on board, thinking he was still under the influence of alcohol.   On reaching the Loch Tay he was carried on board and placed in the room set apart for sailors.   Captain Egeness looked at him and felt for a pulse.  Prior to this Captain Egeness sent the launch to the beach to find the doctor of the ship (Jorg. B. Kolfiaath) who had gone fishing.

On the doctor's return, he examined Niclasson and pronounced him deceased.

Niclasson had been onboard the Loch Tay for six to seven months and was regarded as a good worker, he had never suffered from illness during his time on board, but was known to have a slight "heart disease"The official inquiry was held at Cambourne's Hotel Huskisson on Monday 24 November 1912, before the coroner (Mr C.J.B. Watson).



The first hotel at Huskisson.


The burial.
The body of the deceased was in a wooden shell made on board the Loch Tay, he was interred at a quiet spot close to the church at Huskisson, alongside the grave of a seaman drowned 42 years before. The coffin was draped with the Norwegian colours was borne to the grave by a number of the deceased late comrades. The Church of England burial service was read by the Rev. A. G. Perkins, followed by an impressive Norwegian service, conducted by Captain Egeness.


Dr, Albert Bobart (Government medical officer)  "I have seen the body of the deceased, Carl Niclasson It bears no marks of violence, In my opinion, the cause of death was heart disease."

The church is no longer used and sits on a large open piece of prime real estate which is earmarked for development. This will require the graves to be moved to another location.  I hope they are given a location befitting a sailor.

It was believed Niclasson at the time of his death only had one living relative, a married sister living in Sweden.


Continue reading about the Loch Tay, a factory whaling ship stationed in Jervis Bay.

Continue reading about Robert Johnson.

Continue reading about King Billy and Queen Mary.





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6 February 2019

Steamer breaks down in cyclonic gale - Jervis Bay.






December 13 1920 -  A gale described as "cyclonic" was ravaging the south coast centered between Wollongong and Jervis Bay. Vessels caught at sea were having a very hard time and those that could looked for shelter, while others had no choice but to battle on.  The weather was so severe all coastal shipping was suspended forcing vessels to stay in port.

The Patric Steam Ship Company steamer Timaru heading to Sydney with a cargo of Tasmanian timber found herself in the grip of the storm and was forced to seek shelter in Wreck Bay.  She became disabled when one of her engine shafts was broken by the sheer strain of negotiating the seas.  Her captain using the wireless signalled for immediate assistance.


December 14 - The weather quickly abated, the steamer Sea Lark was dispatched from Jervis Bay to the Timaru, upon arriving at the scene,  Captain Johnson of the Timaru, informed the master of the Sea Lark that his services would not be required, provided the weather stays settled. The company decided to send the tug Bermagui to assist the Timaru just in case of further trouble.

December 14 - The steamer Bermagui arrived and took the Timaru in tow and proceeded to Sydney arriving in the harbour around midday. While she was connected by tow line to the Bermagui, the Timaru made the journey under her own steam. She remained in Sydney while repairs were carried out.



150ft 2in long, Timaru was an iron steamer of 459 tons gross, built in 1883 at Sunderland.







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2 February 2019

Samuel Elyard.


Susan Capel, art dealer and restorer from Sydney, sent us two images by Samuel Elyard depicting scenes of the Shoalhaven. One is a beautiful image of the Cape St George Lighthouse located in the Booderie National Park on the south side of Jervis Bay. The lighthouse was a favourite subject for Elyard, he made the long rough journey by horseback and buggy to the lighthouse on many occasions. The museum has several in its collection. The other is an unidentified homestead in the Shoalhaven.


"Cape St. George Lighthouse, Jervis Bay, N.S.W." (c.1890)

watercolour & bodycolour

37.5 x 50.5cm

unsigned


"Country Homestead, Shoalhaven, N.S.W." (1883)

watercolour & bodycolour

39 x 39cm

signed lower right




Continue reading about Samuel Elyard, a prolific painter and photographer who lived in the Shoalhaven in the 19th century. You will also find some interesting comparison photograph I have done of his original paintings compared to the actual scene today...
http://jervisbaymaritimemuseum.blogspot.com/search?q=samuel+elyard

Both of these images are for sale from Belle Epoque Fine Art and Antiques.
https://www.belleepoqueantiques.com/samuel-elyard
https://www.belleepoqueantiques.com/






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