OldTex
Well-Known Member
One reason was that at Federation there was a requirement for capital cities to have a port. So for Canberra to be the Australian capital it required a port, hence Jervis Bay became the exclave port for the ACT.
Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
- Thread starter OPSSG
- Start date
Correct. When we relocated the ammunitioning facility, one of the places we looked at first was JB; would have been on the northern side where there was and is little development. At the same time we were looking at establishing at least a minor base on the south side, essentially by expanding around CRESWELL. However, the environmental aspects of the Bay, being effectively unspoilt due to 100 years of both isolation and preservation by the Navy meant that it was knocked on the head; specifically because there were certain important sea grass beds which would have been disturbed.
For this who might not know only a small part of the Bay, which would have been the port for Canberra, is managed by the federal government, the area which now forms the Booderee national park. It’s actually a separate federal territory although administered as part of the ACT. The rest is part of NSW; although the fact that a large bit of the northern Bay, the Beecroft Peninsular, is a Naval live fire range continues to protect that area. There has, however, been considerable development on the western side around Huskisson and Vincentia.
Finally, it is beautiful location, with some of the whitest sand beaches there are. I still think that after spending 3 1/2 years there as a Cadet….
For this who might not know only a small part of the Bay, which would have been the port for Canberra, is managed by the federal government, the area which now forms the Booderee national park. It’s actually a separate federal territory although administered as part of the ACT. The rest is part of NSW; although the fact that a large bit of the northern Bay, the Beecroft Peninsular, is a Naval live fire range continues to protect that area. There has, however, been considerable development on the western side around Huskisson and Vincentia.
Finally, it is beautiful location, with some of the whitest sand beaches there are. I still think that after spending 3 1/2 years there as a Cadet….
HMAS Cresswell is indeed located in a beautiful area. I was only there for a few weeks on my Direct Entry Reserve Officers “knife and fork“ course, unfortunately in winter. The two day exped at Yalwal Gap was bracing, bobbing around in my life jacket in the middle of Jervis Bay waiting for the Iroquois on the Survival at Sea training and pleasant evenings cleaning the kangaroo poo off my parade boots. Happy days!
I was never posted to JB, but spent many days in and around Currarong on the Northern side fishing the rock ledges. JB is Australia's best kept secret, very special place. I even tried to get posted to PTS at HMAS Albatros to get that little bit closer!