Jervis Bay Territory

Jervis Bay Territory closeup map.

The Jervis Bay Territory (pronounced: Jar-vis) is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea".

It was administered by the Department of the Interior (and later by the Department of the Capital Territory) as if it were part of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), although it has always been a separate Commonwealth territory. The perception that it is part of the ACT stems from the fact that under the terms of the Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act, the laws of the ACT apply to the Jervis Bay Territory. In 1989, when the ACT achieved self-government, the Department of The Arts, Sport, The Environment, Tourism and Territories took over responsibility for the JBT's administration, and it has since been administered by various Commonwealth Departments responsible to the Minister for Territories.

History

The bay was sighted by Lieut James Cook aboard HMS Endeavour on 25 April 1770 (two days after Saint George's Day) and he named the southern headland Cape St George.

In August 1791 the bay was entered and named by Lieutenant Richard Bowen aboard the convict transport ship Atlantic of the Third Fleet in honour of Admiral John Jervis, under whom he had served. In November 1791 Master Matthew Weatherhead aboard the Matilda entered the bay to undertake repairs.

Survivors of the Sydney Cove shipwreck in 1797 reached the area by foot, heading to Port Jackson.

Explorer George Bass entered the bay on 10 December 1797. He named Bowen Island.

John Oxley, an English explorer and surveyor, in 1819.

PRONUNCIATION OF JERVIS BAY

YOU SAY JARVIS, WE SAY JERVIS

(From an article by Alan Clark in the South Coast Register, Friday 5th August, 2005)

“Jervis Bay is a major attraction in the Shoalhaven district, popular with local and visitors alike, but the pronunciation of Jervis has been a topic of debate for generations.

But just as some surnames are pronounced differently by branches of the family in different areas, the subject of ‘Jervis or Jarvis’ is regularly raised.

Jervis Bay was named in 1791 by Lt Richard Bowen after the British Admiral, Sir John Jervis (1735 – 1823) who is best known for being in command of the British fleet at the Battle of St Vincent in 1797.

After that battle he was created an earl, to be known as Earl St Vincent; but earlier in his career he had served alongside Captain James Cook at the siege of Quebec in 1759.

During 1928, Mr Jervis Manton wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Sir Littleton Groom) about the growing inclination in Australia to mispronounce the name of Jervis Bay.

He claimed to be descended from the original Jervis and asked the Speaker to do what he could to maintain the correct pronunciation ‘Jervis’.

When controversy raged on the subject during 1972, the State Member for South Coast, Jack Beale (who was also Minister for Environment Control) sought to have it clarified by the Geographical Names Board of NSW.

While not giving a definitive answer, the GNB’s response in January 1973 was that once a place name had been established in this State, it’s pronunciation would be determined ‘by popular usage’ which said it was ‘Jarvis’.

However, during that month Shoalhaven Shire confirmed a previous resolution that the correct pronunciation was “Jervis”.

In the meantime, developer Warren Halloran who, with his father before him, had taken great interest in the history of Jervis Bay and perpetuated the names from the Battle of St Vincent in Vincentia street names, decided to go to the source.

He contacted the then current Viscount St Vincent in England who advised that the family had always pronounced the name as it was spelt, “Jervis”.

Viscount St Vincent provided Mr Halloran with an extract from the family tree that showed the large overlap between generations which made it almost impossible for the pronunciation of the family name to change.

While working in England in 1998, South Coast Register journalist Alex Arnold was corrected by a former Royal Navy man who was adamant that he should be saying “Jarvis” Bay.

Two newsreaders asked about this subject both favour Jervis, but for different reasons.

Graham French of Radio 2ST said he had been guided by former colleague, the late Greg Toohey, who he said had been “obsessed with it”.

Toohey’s research led him to believe it was Jervis Bay, and French followed suit, although he had occasionally been corrected by naval people.

Former ABC television newsreader, Richard Morecroft who now lives in the vicinity of Jervis Bay, agrees.

He said he had been guided by the Standing Committee on Spoken English (SCOSE), although he believed it to be the preferred pronunciation rather than mandatory.

This was borne out by Irene Poinkin, SCOSE’s language researcher who did admit it was a “sore point”.

She quoted the BBC Dictionary of Pronunciation that indicated Sir John Jervis would haven pronounced his name as “Jervis”.

Although the Royal Australian Navy favours “Jarvis” for its vessel, HMAS Jervis Bay, according to Ms Poinkin, when there is doubt the spelling takes precedence.

So Jervis it is!”

Further to the above article, it should also be noted that at 11.30am on April 6th 1992 at the Declaration of the Jervis Bay National Park by the Australian Environment Minister, the Hon. Ros Kelly, MP at Greenpatch, Ms Kelly, in her role as Minister for the Crown, confirmed the pronunciation of Jervis Bay as being as it is spelt (not Jahvis)…Eyewitness account of Tom Phillips, Tourism Manager, Shoalhaven City Council.

(File Number 11259)

Administration

Location of the ACT and Jervis Bay

Jervis Bay Territory is currently administered by the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government. However, it is counted as part of the ACT for the purpose of the ACT's representation in the Senate; and it forms part of the Division of Fraser for House of Representatives purposes. The Department of Regional Australia has proposed returning Jervis Bay Territory to New South Wales.

An estimated 394 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. The Jervis Bay Territory is in the Commonwealth Electoral Division of Fraser (ACT). Jervis Bay Territory residents are not represented at the local or State government level but have access to the decision-making process through community organisations.

The Defence Force Discipline Act (DFDA) Section 62 makes all Australian Defence Force members and "Defence Civilians" subject to the criminal laws of the Jervis Bay Territory regardless of where the offence occurred. This is a legal device which makes Defence personnel subject to the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) 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

See also: Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens

Sign denoting the NSW/JBT Border

Native vegetation

At 65.8 km² (25 sq mi) of land, Jervis Bay is the smallest of all the mainland states and territories of Australia. Jervis Bay is a natural harbour 16 km (10 mi) north-south and 10 km (6 mi) east-west, opening to the east onto the Pacific Ocean. The bay is situated about 150 km (93 mi) south of the city of Sydney, on the southern coast of New South Wales. The nearest city is Nowra, about 40 km (25 mi) (30 minutes' drive) away, on the Shoalhaven River to the north. The majority of Jervis Bay embayment is part of Jervis Bay Marine Park (NSW State) but the waters within JB Territory are part of Booderee National Park (Commonwealth). [Booderee National Park was formerly known as Jervis Bay National Park (Commonwealth)].

A wide variety of flora and fauna are native to the Booderee (aboriginal: bay of plenty) National Park with approximately 206 species of birds, 27 species of mammals, 15 species of amphibians, 23 species of reptiles and 180 species of fish native to the area. The park itself encompasses approximately 90% of the territory of Jervis Bay and covers the overlap between Australia's northern and southern climatic zones.

Ancient sand dunes overlay the sedimentary bedrock formations formed from upheaval of the surrounding marine environment 280-225 million years ago. The park was designated sacred Aboriginal land in 1995. A significant portion of the bay's northern coast and headland forming Beecroft Peninsula and ending at Point Perpendicular and surrounding area is a gun bombardment range for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

There are three small lakes within the territory: Lake Windermere (the largest, with an area 31 hectares), Lake Mckenzie (7 ha), and Blacks Waterhole (1.4 ha).

Bowen Island, at the entrance to the bay 230 metres north of Governors Head, is 51 ha in area. It has rookeries for the Fairy Penguin (Eudyptula minor) at the northern extent of its range.

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

Towns and villages in the Territory

There are three small towns or villages in the Jervis Bay Territory. They are all covered by postcode 2540. Listed from north to south, they are:

• Jervis Bay Village (pop. 250)
• Wreck Bay Village (pop. 215, part of Jervis Bay Village)
• Greenpatch (pop. 30)

There are four private leasehold holiday properties in Jervis Bay Territory, within but not part of Booderee National Park. Located on the western side of the territory, across from Sussex Inlet, they are Christian's Minde, Kullindi Homestead, RTBU Holiday Park, and the Bay of Plenty Lodges.

Other villages and towns on the bay are: Hyams Beach, Vincentia, Huskisson, Culburra, Callala Bay, Callala Beach and Myola.

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-107 E). 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 Murrays Beach and its adjacent boat ramp.

Murrays Beach looking east.

See also

• HMAS Jervis Bay (GT-203)
• HMS Jervis Bay (F40)
• Jervis Bay Airport
• Jervis Bay (Australia)
• South Coast Pipe (famous surf break)