Jervis Bay Territory

Jervis Bay Territory closeup map

The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was bought by the Commonwealth Government in 1915 from the state of New South Wales so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have access to the sea. It was part of the Australian Capital Territory until 1989 when the Australian Capital Territory achieved self government, after which it became a separate territory administered by the Ministry of Territories. However, it remains part of Canberra for federal electoral purposes.

History

Jervis Bay is named after the British Admiral John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent. Jervis was believed among some to pronounce his name /'dʒɑvis/ but nearly all residents of Jervis Bay, as well as his descendants, pronounce it with an /ɜ/ sound. The first European to visit the area was John Oxley in 1819.

Administration

Location of the ACT and Jervis Bay

Approximately 611 (2001 census) people live in the territory, the majority working and living at the Royal Australian Navy base, HMAS Creswell. Over 90% of the territory is now legally recognised as Aboriginal land. There is an Aboriginal community at Wreck Bay in the Booderee National Park.

For most purposes, the territory is governed under the laws of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), by the Jervis Bay Administration, which handles matters normally concerned with local or state government, and provides primary school teachers and Australian Federal Police staffing. Residents have access to the courts of the ACT, but are not separately represented in the ACT Legislative Assembly. They are represented in the Australian parliament as part of the Division of Fraser in the ACT and by the ACT's two Senators.

The Defence Force Discipline Act (DFDA) Section 62 makes all (Australian) Defence members and Defence civilians subject to the criminal laws of the Jervis Bay Territory no matter where they are located. This is a legal device which makes Defence personnel subject to the (Commonwealth) Crimes Act 1914, the (Commonwealth) Criminal Code Act 1995 and offences against the criminal law of the ACT, as military law, even if the offence is committed outside Australia.

Vincentia is the nearest town, roughly 3 km north of the border, population 2,750.

Geography

Sign denoting the NSW/JBT State/Territory Border

Jervis Bay is a natural harbour 16 km north-south and 10 km east-west, opening to the east onto the Pacific Ocean. The bay is situated about 150 km south of the city of Sydney, on the southern coast of New South Wales. The nearest city is Nowra, about 40 km (30 minutes' drive) away, on the Shoalhaven River to the north. The water area forms the Jervis Bay Marine Park (now Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens). The bay's extensive sand bottom features sea grass meadows where fish and dolphins can be found.

The southern Bherwerre Peninsula ends at Governors Head, and is primarily taken up by Booderee National Park, accessible by road. (Booderee is an Aboriginal word from the Dhurga language meaning "bay of plenty" or "plenty of fish.")

The bay's northern coast and headland forming Beecroft Peninsula ends at Point Perpendicular with a major coastal lighthouse. A significant portion of the headland and surrounding area is a gun bombardment range for the Australian Navy.

Bowen Island, at the entrance to the bay opposite Governors Head, is 51 ha. It has rookeries for the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) at the northern extent of its range.

Jervis Bay looking through the heads, with 10 Royal Australian Navy ships at anchor.

Other villages and towns on the bay are: Hyams Beach, Vincentia, Huskisson, Culburra, Callala Bay, Callala Beach and Myola. To the southwest of Jervis Bay lies St. Georges Basin, an extensive marine estuary and lake system.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens Annexe of approximately 80 ha was established in 1951 near Lake Windermere to cater for plants intolerant of frost found sometimes at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.

Towns and villages in the Territory

There are three small towns or villages in the Jervis Bay Territory. They are all covered by postcode 2541. Listed from north to south, they are:

• Jervis Bay Village
• Greenpatch
• Wreck Bay Village

HMAS Creswell

Within the Booderee National Park is HMAS Creswell, the Royal Australian Navy College named after Sir William Rooke Creswell, the Director of the Commonwealth Naval Forces which later became the RAN. The Jervis Bay Airfield is adjacent, operated by the RAN to support its Kalkara (Storm Petrel) pilotless target aircraft (Beech / BAe MQM-107E ). Kalkara are launched from the airfield and later recovered by parachute into the water and thence by boats maintained at HMAS Creswell, after target-towing exercises off the coast with ships or aircraft. Control equipment is sited at Bherwerre Ridge overlooking the sea to the east.

Nuclear reactor site

Of historical interest is the site of the proposed Jervis Bay Nuclear Power Plant. The site is near Murray's Beach, at the southeast corner of the Bay. The project was cancelled in 1971 after site works (excavation and levelling) were done and a road was constructed to the territory border. The levelled site is now the car park for Murray's Beach and its adjacent boat ramp.

See also

• Jervis Bay Airport
• Jervis Bay (Australia)
• South Coast Pipe (Famous Surf Break)

External links

• Official site