Huskisson from Coastal Patrol Jetty, Currambene Creek

Huskisson
Quiet and attractive township on the shores of Jervis Bay
Located on the shores of Jervis Bay 24 kilometres from Nowra and 179 km south of Sydney via the Princes Highway, Huskisson is a typical, under-developed, sleepy holiday resort and fishing port. The main street has takeaway food shops, a coffee shop, a dive shop and a huge, beachfront hotel - The Husky Pub - which provides drinkers with delightful views across the bay. Here you can sit in the beer garden, enjoy a meal at the Peninsula Restaurant and let the world go by.

The Jervis Bay district was originally inhabited by the Dhurga Aborigines. European exploration of the area around the present town began in 1812. When wool prices soared at the outset of the 1840s Governor Gipps sent 70 convicts to cut a track that has become known as The Wool Road from Braidwood to Jervis Bay so that wool could be shipped to Sydney instead of transported on poor roads via Goulbourn. As a result there was great optimism about the future of the district, reflected in Gipps' decision to establish the settlement of Huskisson on the western shore of the Bay in 1840. Although the town was laid out that year it was not settled for another 23 years.

The town was named after William Huskisson, secretary of the colonies and leader of the House of Commons from 1827-28. Huskisson had the misfortune to be run over by a locomotive while talking to the Duke of Wellington at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester railway in 1830.

View from Tapalla Point looking across Jervis Bay, Huskisson

A man named George Dent visited Currambene Creek in 1861 looking for timber. He established the local shipbuilding industry in 1864. The availability of local timber encouraged the growth of the industry which was thriving by the 1880s and continued until 1966. One boat made locally in 1912, the Lady Denman ferry, which operated in Sydney Harbour, was towed back to Huskisson in 1981 to serve as a maritime museum. Little else remains from the early days of settlement.

Things to see:  

Lady Denman Museum
The Lady Denman Museum deals with the history of wooden shipbuilding at Huskisson . The Museum of Jervis Bay Science and the Sea has a broader collection of maritime material. There are free guides for coach tours. Both are located in the Lady Denman Heritage Complex (02 4441 5675) which is open 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. daily.

To get there turn left off Tomerong St into Dent St at the northern end of town. Adjacent a stand of spotted gums there is a boat-building shed, fish feeding, the Beaufort Memorial propellor, a mangrove boardwalk, barbeque and picnic facilities, the two museums. The admission charge is $8 for adults, $20 for a family of four. Nearby, at 1 Tomerong St, is the Huskisson Trading Post, an antique and second-hand shop that doubles as a supplementary tourist centre (02 4441 5241).

Laddie Timbery's Aboriginal Art and Craft Centre
Laddie Timbery's Aboriginal Art and Craft Centre sells articles made on the site by Aboriginal craftspeople. Didgeridoo-playing, boomerang-throwing and bush tucker are also on offer (02 4441 5999 or 02 4443 4689).

A quiet beach on Jervis Bay near Huskisson

Diving and Dolphin Watching at Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay, because of the clarity of the water and the quietness of the bay, is deservedly famed for its very fine diving, particularly off Tapalla Point. Diving courses and packages are on offer from Aquatique at 55 Owen St (02 4441 5530), Jervis Bay Sea Sports at 47 Owen St (02 4441 5598 or 02 4441 5012) and Pro Dive at 64 Owen St (02 4441 5255). The latter two businesses also offer charter boats for diving and for fishing. Dolphin Watch Cruises are located at 50 Owen St (02 4441 6311). There is also a concrete boat ramp off Owen St into Currambene Creek.

Boat Hire on Jervis Bay
Nearby Woollamia (supposedly meaning 'a good place for catching snapper') has a concrete boat ramp on Frank Lewis Way. Simo's Afloat at 58 Streamside Road offers chartered tours of Jervis Bay, St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet for sightseeing, fishing and snorkelling (019-669656). Husky Hire-a-Boat at 625 Woollamia Road has aluminium boats with outboard motors (02 4441 6200).

Special Festivals
Jervis Bay's claim to the whitest sand in the world has spawned the White Sands Carnival. Held at Easter-time there are floats, stalls, music, a parade and fireworks. There is also family entertainment during the Christmas school holidays at White Sands Park and a market every second Sunday of the month at the same location.

	Motels
	Anglesea Waterfront Motel Lodges 2 Admiralty Cres. Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5057 Rating: ***
	Bayside Motor Inn Huskisson Cnr Hawke & Bowen Sts Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5194 Rating: ***
	Huskisson Beach Motel 9 Hawke St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6387 Rating: **
	Jervis Bay Motel Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5781 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Husky Pub Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5001
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Paperbark Camp 571 Woollamia Rd Woollamia Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6066 Facsimile: (02) 4441 6066 Rating: ****
	Sandholme Guesthouse 2 Jervis St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 8855 Facsimile: (02) 4441 8866
	The Jervis Bay Guesthouse 1 Beach St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7658 Facsimile: (02) 4441 7659 Email: info@jervisbayguesthouse.com.au Rating: ****1/2
	Apartments
	White Sands Lodge Serviced Apartments 5 Bowen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5900
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Huskisson Bed & Breakfast 12 Tomerong St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 44417551, 0407 929 083 Email: kate@huskissonbnb.com.au Web site: http://www.huskissonbnb.com.au Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Currarong Beachside Tourist Park Nowra Rd Currarong Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4448 3027 Rating: ***1/2
	Hidden Creek Caravan Park & Camping 106 Goodlands Rd Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5809 Rating: **
	Huskinsson White Sands Tourist Park Cnr Nowra & Beach Sts Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6025 Facsimile: (02) 4441 6025 Rating: ***
	Huskisson Beach Caravan Park Beach St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5142, 1800 676 433 Facsimile: (02) 4441 5142 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Hawng Khrua Thai Restaurant Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7029
	Huskisson Bayside Brasserie Bowen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5194
	Huskisson Chinese Restaurant Tomerong Rd Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7063
	Huskisson Motor Inn Cnr Hawke & Bowen Sts Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5194
	Huskisson R.S.L Club Cnr Owen & Currambene Sts Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5282
	Husky Pub Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5001
	La Prima Of Huskisson 52 Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6511
	Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant 42 Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5577
	Peninsula Restaurant Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6852
	Reflections Waterfront Restaurant, Beach Motel 9 Hawke St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 4314
	Rhonda's Family Restaurant 64 Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 5245
	The Gunyah Paperbark Camp 571 Woollamia Rd Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7299
	The Lovin' Spoonful 9 Hawke St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6183
	Cafés
	Column ATE 48 Owen St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 7070
	Seagrass Cafe 13 Currambene St Huskisson NSW 2540 Telephone: (02) 4441 6124