Nowra Bridge a few facts I bet you never new- 5 July 1879.

Over many years travelling across Nowra Bridge I had never really stopped to think much about the bridge and its significance.  Research for the blog has made me aware of just how vital and important this steel structure was, and still is today. The bridge was completed in 1881 and made from cast iron and steel. Nowra bridge is quite unique,  at the time it was built it was the only American Pin Jointed Whipple bridge built in NSW.  The steel was imported from the USA, some 14 years ahead of its general use in New South Wales.  The popular contemporary bridge of the time was wrought iron, half through, lattice truss, essentially a British bridge of riveted construction. The pairs of cast iron piers are original and were supplied by the Atlas Foundry of Sydney. At 1013 feet (309m) overall it was the largest bridge project in New South Wales prior to the 1889 Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge.

Timber Deck. The original deck was timber and this was in use for one hundred years until replaced with reinforced concrete laid over Armco decking in 1981.

Big dreams, a railway to Vincentia and beyond. The bridge was originally intended to carry a double railway track, the railway however was never extended past Bomaderry station, putting an end to many dreams and slowing down the growth of the south coast beyond Nowra. “More on this fascinating aspect of the story in a future post.” The bridge has been used for two lane traffic for over 133 years.

Historical significance. The bridge was designed by American engineer C Shaler Smith and is considered to be of historical state significance.  The Builder was Edgemoor Iron Co.,  a well known bridge fabricator and builder of Delaware USA. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges. A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements forming triangular units. Nowra Bridge  is a technically sophisticated bridge structure and unique for its time.

Phyllis the elephant collapsed on the Nowra Bridge on the 14th of may 1914.  One of the more remarkable incidents to happen on the bridge was when a scared elephant belonging to Wirths Circus collapsed on the bridge and refused to move for some considerable time. It was eventually coaxed into moving again with food. Whipple Truss Bridge. Opened by Hon John Lackey Minister for Works August 1881, before 6000 people.REF. http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301658 https://www.flickr.com/photos/7655131@N05/449042256/ https://open.abc.net.au/posts/wirth-s-circus-elephant-phyllis-taking-a-nap-1914-09wp3hr http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM928R_Nowra_Bridge_Shoalhaven_River_Nowra_NSW

Huskisson road construction.

 

I hear people complaining about the condition of our roads now, imagine what they must have been like back then.

Harold Parnell preparing the road surface at Huskisson - 1800’s

Schooner Susan wrecked.

Wrecked and torn to pieces in 10 minutes after striking a reef near Ulladulla harbour, 3rd July 1849 Example of a two masted schooner

Even though Ulladulla has one of the safest harbours on the south coast, it has still played havoc for ships sailing near the coastline. The North and South reefs (bomborras) and Wardens Head (South headland) were the location of ship wrecks in the 19th century. In a heavy swell The 13 ton schooner Susan was carrying tallows and hides, travelling from Bermagui to Sydney. She struck the Ulladulla Reef (South Bomboora) on 3 July 1849, there were seven passengers on board with no lives lost from this accident. Susan. Two-masted wooden schooner, 23/13 tons. Built Hawkeesbury River, NSW, 1840; reg. Sydney, 29/1847. Lbd 35.8 x 13 x 5 ft. Master-owner William Pulman. Went to pieces in ten minutes. No lives lost. Tallow I had to look up Tallow, I have heard the term before but didn’t know exactly what it was. Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation. REF:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow

Bendalong Beach.

Winter sees the cold air from the land being drawn towards the warmer water of the Tasman. This resulted in a surreal golden mist drifting across the sea, giving the impression the sand was on fire.
July 3rd 014.

A beautiful sight.

On this day – 1st July 1822

Today marks the day Alexander Berry first walked to the top of Mount Coolangatta.
Measuring 320 meters high the Mount dominates the coastal landscape in this area.

The history of Coolangatta Estate stretches back to the early 19th Century. It was in 1822, that partners Alexander Berry and Edward Wollstonecraft settled on the foothills of a mountain named Coolangatta, after obtaining a grant of 10,000 acres and 100 convicts from the NSW Government. The date 23 June 1822 has since been recognized as the first European settlement on the South Coast of NSW. Alexander Berry wrote: “For my headquarters I fixed on the north side of the river at the foot of a hill called by the natives ‘Collungatta’. I located the 10,000 acres grant in this locality” ‘Collungatta’ was the Aboriginal word for fine view, a description that Berry found difficult to dispute. On 1 July 1822, Alexander Berry climbed Mt. Coolangatta to view his vast estate. He spent the night atop this ancient mountain, pondering the future of his settlement and possible uses of its fertile land. Aboriginal Importance. Cullunghutti (the proper spelling) has great significance to the local Aboriginal people and this was recognised more than 100 years ago by anthropologists and in recent years the National Parks and Wildlife Service purchased 67 hectares of land on the mountain. That land has been gazetted as an Aboriginal area under the National Parks and Wildlife Act.

The mystery of Scrimshaw

The beautiful art of Scrimshaw.
While your visiting the Museum take the time to examine the beautiful examples of Scrimshaw and bone carving on display dating back to the 1800’s.

Scrimshaw History - still in dispute. The art of Scrimshaw has been attributed to the early whalers between 1745 to 1759, but examples of bone carving and decoration have been found to date back much earlier and was practiced by the Native American Eskimo  ‘the Inuit's”  perhaps as far back as 6000 years, much conjecture still exists and research is finding more evidence that supports the practice pre dates the early whalers.

A small segment of a bone hand carved casket from the early 1800’s

The word Scrimshaw Seems to be a bit of a mystery as well, there are a few theories attached to it's meaning. The general consensus is, it was probably derived from a Dutch or English nautical slang expression meaning  “to waste time”. The practice was carried out by sailors on board when they had nothing to do, scratching and stippling images and scenes into ivory and Horn, using a variety of blades and sailing needles then applying lampblack squid ink and tobacco juice for pigment to embellish the scratching and carving. An artist who practices scrimshaw is called a “scrimshander”.

An truly amazing example of bone sculpture the detail has to be seen up close to appreciate the craftsmanship involved. This example dates back to the early 1800’s and was done by a French prisoner of war.

The decline of Scrimshaw. With significantly smaller whaling fleets and other changes which allowed the ships to operate more efficiently with smaller crews that meant there were fewer whalers/sailors to do Scrimshaw work. By that time the whale’s teeth and bones which in earlier years were tossed aside, now became part of the seas bounty the whaling ships were after because they now had a commercial value. Also, around the late 1860s and early 1870s the first truly successful center-fire cartridges and rifles were introduced which meant it was no longer necessary to carry a powder horn. These two events occurring almost simultaneously resulted in Scrimshaw nearly becoming a lost art.

Surveyor Thomas Florence

ON THIS DAY – 30th June 1828 Thomas Florence recorded Termeil Lagoon and Lake Tobourie and explores Burrill Lake.
(Burrill, Aboriginal for Wallaby or a tree with a green and white leaf)

Born in England in 1783 he worked in Canada as a surveyor and engineer, he served in the Royal Engineers in the American War until ill health caused him to return to England. Seeking a milder climate he arrived in Sydney in 1817. 1827 he commenced a survey of the coastline and some of the estuaries between Jervis Bay and Moruya. His surveys were very comprehensive and he was responsible for many of the names we use now, more details can be seen by following the links below. He eventually moved to New Zealand and died in Auckland in 1867 aged 84. REF: http://www.ozhistorymine.com/html/cambage__florance.html http://www.australiaforeveryone.com.au/discovery/names5.htm

Majestic icon of the coast.

 

 

Haliaeetus leucogaster is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night. I bet your glad i explained that!

If there is one iconic symbol that describes the coastal regions of Jervis Bay surely the White Breasted Sea Eagle is it. Seen soaring effortlessly above the coastal fringe, along the cliffs, rivers, and across the bays in it’s endless search for food, one can feel at times envious of the beauty and grace of this majestic animal as it silently glides by, the female adults can have a wing span over two meters and sometimes you are only made aware of their presence by the shadow they cast on the ground as they fly overhead.

 

The Eagles call in unmistakable and has anyone in ear shot scanning the skies or trees hoping to get a glimpse. Often seen in territorial pairs while others are nomadic. The Mating ritual. I was fortunate enough to witness the mating ritual performed high in the sky above Wreck Bay, this elegant aerial dance involved dipping and diving, calling and following close to each other mimicking each others moves, at one stage one swooped upside down grabbing the others talons causing both to plummet straight down in a cartwheel fashion dropping at least 30 meters only letting go around 20 meters above the ground. it was quite remarkable and repeated a number of times. The White Bellied Sea Eagle is the guardian Animal of the Wreck Bay Community and the official emblem of the Booderie National Park.

All these images were taken in Booderie National Park.

The visitors centre at Booderie has taxidermy examples on display. Its a sad way to see these animals up close but they were the result of accidents and their bodies recovered and preserved. Sad as it is, they are impressive creatures and probably the only way you will ever get that close to one.

Whale migration

 

Each year at this time we get to see a remarkable event. Here is a picture of two Humpback Whales doing a bit of tail slapping with Pigeon House Mountain as a backdrop. These whales eventually made there way right into the Wreck Bay area right in front of the village and slowly cruised past only 20 meters from the rocks, giving a few lucky tourists a fantastic experience, and to make it even more exciting one was almost totally white.

If you get a chance head out to one of the headlands and do a bit of Whale watching. The lookout near Cape St George Lighthouse is a particularly good spot to see them heading north. The museum has plenty of material available at the visitors centre to help you along.

On going management

The museum houses a unique collection of objects, and
non more so than the Halloran Collection.

The staff from the Collection Management Team headed by Curator Graham Hinton have the task of monitoring and safeguarding the collection. At the moment the Halloran Collection is being systematically photographed and cleaned, a large and challenging task. This process is ongoing and throws up all sorts of challenges, the management and monitoring of the humidity is one of the most important issues facing any museums collection, light is another, odors from paint can cause problems all have to be managed carefully, Graham attends many conferences where issues such as these are discussed and solutions gathered and shared.

The team use magnifying classes to examine and clean the collection, in the process the fine detail can be seen and the magic of these amazing objects is revealed.

This first photograph illustrates the problem, mould can be clearly seen on the bottom plate of this surveyors instrument, the ladies during the cleaning process and above the object after cleaning.

George Dent Snr house.

Another amazing image from the Lady Denman Museums archives.
George Dent seniors house overlooking the bay.
Click on the image to enlarge.

Thomas Davidson, a remarkable life cut short.

On this day 21st June - 1822 - Two of the crew of Alexander Berry’s settlement party Thomas Davidson and one other were drowned trying to enter the Shoalhaven River.

Depiction of the tragic loss by painter Ian Hansen on display in the museum.











1795 – 1882. A life of adventure and tragedy.
Aged 15 Thomas joined the 395 ton Brigantine convict ship the Boyd as an apprentice bound for Australia with a load of Irish convicts. Once the convicts are unloaded in Sydney 2 Maori are added to the crew and they continue on with their journey back to England via New Zealand.

Melancholy catastrophe of the Boyd.
While visiting Whangaroa to collect timber for spars the local Maori were greatly insulted by the actions of Captain John Thompson on the Boyd. During the trip Captain Thompson had the chief's son “Te Ara” or George as he was named by the Europeans lashed for refusing to work on board the ship as he was the son of a Chief and should not do such work. Once George went ashore still bearing the marks from the lashing and seeking revenge, the enraged Maori lured the captain and some crew ashore where they were slaughtered, the Maori dressed in the sailors uniforms boarded the ship and killed all the passengers and crew, around 70 people. Only the second mate, Mrs. Morley, her baby daughter, a young girl Betsy Broughton and George are spared.

An orgy of cannibalism.
At the time of the massacre Thomas hid in the ships hold, staying there for four days while the Maoris aboard conducted a victory orgy of cannibalism.

Thomas is believed to have survived because he had befriended George during the voyage, had disliked the captains treatment and flogging of the crew and convicts on board, after Gorge was flogged Thomas attended the wounds and smuggled food to George during the trip.
Enslaved by the Maori. 
George tells Thomas that the Boyd crew was killed and eaten in revenge (utu) for a previous ship’s crew they had made welcome. Many of the tribe caught diseases after this European contact and died. The natives believed it was caused by an evil curse uttered by the ship’s captain. They waited for the next ship to extract revenge for this curse and now to avenge George’s cruel lashing.

A portrait of George.
Rescue arrives  -  Alexander Berry.
Alexander Berry hearing of the massacre and survivors headed for the scene, he found the Boyd completely burnt out.
The Maori while ransacking the ship had accidently set alight strewn gunpowder with a musket flint, resulting in a huge explosion killing a number of Maori including Te Ara a local chief.


Louis_John_Steele_-_The_blowing_up_of_the_Boyd

Retribution.
Berry showing great courage and threatening retribution made the Maori release Davidson and two others a Mrs. Morley her baby daughter and a 2 year old child named Betsy, the second mate had been put to work making fish hooks but the natives grew tired of his efforts and killed and ate him two weeks after the initial attack.

Thomas Davidson returned to England via South America, finally arriving in 1811. During the journey home he survived an horrific hurricane, there was a mutiny on board and he was suspected of killing Kee, the ships bully. Thomas jumped ship in Puru and worked his way back to London.

He later returned to Australia and worked for Berry accompanying him on many exploratory expeditions along the South Coast.

One of these adventures resulted in Alexander Berry, Hamilton Hume and Thomas Davidson making the first recorded ascent of Pigeon House Mountain near Ulladulla in 1822.


Pigeon House, iconic symbol of the south coast landscape near Ulladulla.


Unfortunately at the age of twenty seven, seeking a passage into Shoalhaven River his boat was overturned and Thomas Davidson was drowned, an accident that Berry bitterly regretted.

The story of the Boyd massacre is compelling reading, you can find more information in the following links.
below is a documentary of the Boyd Massacre, well worth watching.

REF”
http://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/stories/william-broughton/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_John_Steele_-_The_blowing_up_of_the_Boyd_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyd_massacre
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2206419
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/loot/boyd.html
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-McNTasm-t1-body-d10.html
http://legacy.mblwhoilibrary.org/cook/#section10

Beautiful detail on display.

Following on from a previous post here are a few more examples of the fine detail that adorns the museum’s collection of swords.
Again please excuse the slight glare as they were shot through glass.

Huskisson Pool early evening time lapse.

HMAS Creswell

 

June 12th 1930 the Navy abandons HMAS Creswell
As the depression worsened it was decided the College was to costly to maintain and the operation was moved to HMAS Cererus.

The first settlement at the Naval College site…The Workers and motorised buggy.

”Westward Ho”
After the Navy left the site's buildings were leased out as houses, hotels and holiday accommodation. The cadet's accommodation blocks became "Jervis Bay Guest House" and "Westward Ho", the wardroom became "College House Hotel", the hospital "Naval Lodge Hospital" and the Captain's Residence "Canberra House".

Guests seen here using the facilities at Creswell for holidays.

1945 Australia became involved in World War Two, Jervis Bay plays a vital role in the war effort.
World War Two saw extensive use of Jervis Bay by the Navy, Air Force and the Army. This included a RAAF rehabilitation unit that was established on the eastern side of the Quarterdeck. From 1944-46 the facility treated injured airmen and ex-prisoners of war.
In the early 1950s overcrowding and the less favourable location of HMAS Cerberus prompted a Navy decision to return the College to Jervis Bay.
In its absence many of the site's original problems had been fixed, including connection to the electricity grid, and increased infrastructure in the area due to a growth in tourism. Some local residents resisted the Navy's return.

Re-opened
The College was re-opened in 1958 and commissioned HMAS Creswell, in honour of William Rooke Creswell, whose lobbying had helped to create the RAN.

Vice Admiral Sir W R Creswell (1852 – 1933)
was a very important leader in the establishment of Australia’s own Navy as a separate entity to the Royal Navy.  After a distinguished career with the Royal Navy, Creswell retired in 1875 and came to live in Australia. In 1885 he was encouraged to join the Colonial Navy in South Australia as second in command of the Cruiser HMCS Protector before later moving to the Queensland Naval forces and then to Melbourne.








REF:
http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/military/display/95516-vice-admiral-sir-william-rooke-creswell
http://www.environment.gov.au
https://www.navy.gov.au/establishments/hmas-creswell

Another beautiful part of the South Coast

Rennies Beach Ulladulla.

The early explorers must have been amazed at the beauty of the South East Coast.
This photo shows a slow moving storm approaching from the SW.