Lady Denman Heritage Complex - a step ahead of change
In 1999 Vera Hatton, who was Honorary Curator of the Lady Denman Heritage Complex,
related the remarkable success story of her museum to an Australian Maritime Museums
Council conference. She described how a local service station owner, Dick Young, had
dreamed of installing a monument to the wooden frame shipbuilding industry that had thrived
in Jervis Bay, on the South Coast of NSW, from the 1870s until the 1950s. On learning that
the Sydney Harbour ferry, Lady Denman, originally built at Huskisson, was to be retired from
service, Dick wrote to the Minister for Transport asking for the ferry’s name plates and a
wheelhouse so it could be displayed in a local park. He was offered the whole ferry as long as
he could manage to move it to Huskisson and put it to good public use.
That was in 1979. The eventual return of the Lady Denman to Jervis Bay two years later
catalysed the foundation of the Lady Denman Heritage Complex, which was officially
opened on 3 December 1988.
Vera told the conference that the Lady Denman Heritage Complex consisted of: “the Lady
Denman Maritime Museum, which tells the story of Jervis Bay: (the) Jervis Bay Museum of
Science and the Sea, a surveyors’ Gallery; a boatbuilding shed and slipway, fish-feeding
harbour and an Australian plant garden.”
There was also an Aboriginal arts and crafts workshop with Aboriginal artists demonstrating
their art; boomerang throwing and didgeridoo playing. There was a mangrove boardwalk of
300 metres and three small weatherboard buildings, relocated from their original sites to
avoid demolition.
It was, indeed, a “complex” rather than a mere museum. It was, and still is, open seven days a
week, 10.00am – 4.00pm.
Vera also proudly announced that the Lady Denman Heritage Complex had been awarded a
Federation grant of $1.14 million to finally place the ferry under cover.. The first paid staff
member, Robyn Williams, had been employed as full-time Director in 1997. Robyn added
her considerable experience as a museum professional to the strong volunteer base that had
already achieved so much.
So, how has the Lady Denman Heritage Complex fared over the past eleven years?
The ferry wing incorporates a large well or dry dock to house the ferry, a walkway, known as
the Long Gallery, extending beyond the full 110 foot length of the ferry and a large space for
temporary exhibitions. This extension also enabled the creation of an improved entry point
with room for an expanded museum shop and Aboriginal Arts & Crafts area. It increased the
Museum space by 155%, from 450 to 1150 square metres. The old entry foyer was converted
into an administration area.
After twenty years on dry land, fully exposed to the elements, including termite attack, the
poor old ferry had deteriorated considerably. Furthermore, Alf Settree, the last of the
traditionally trained wood frame shipbuilders, had died. In his retirement, Alf had been able
1
to devote considerable time and effort to the Lady Denman project. He had been a key person
in the challenging operations that had allowed the vessel to travel from Sydney to Huskisson
by sea and from Currambene Creek to its penultimate resting place.
Extensive restoration work was carried out on the ferry prior to the final move and
fortunately, Alf’s son, John, became heavily involved. Metal knees were fabricated to
replace rotten ones that had already been removed. The rotted sponson was removed in
sections and, because the original timber size (14” x 12”) was no longer milled, seven lengths
of 30cm x 5cm timber were laminated together to obtain the correct thickness for each
section. Ribs and stringers beneath the copper cladding were also badly deteriorated and
needed to be replaced. Much of this work was necessary to prepare the ferry for the move
into the new wing.
During this time, Robyn Williams worked with Historian and Maritime Heritage Consultant
Tony Prescott to prepare a successful submission for the ferry to be placed on the NSW State
Heritage List thus ensuring ongoing funding.
The Lady Denman was moved into her new quarters in April 2000 but the final roofing work
wasn’t completed until mid-December - in the nick of time as it turned out.
On Christmas day 2001 a devastating bushfire swept through the bushland surrounding
Jervis Bay. It seemed that the whole complex was doomed. A Montague whaler and a
Moreton Bay oyster boat on display close to where the ferry had been were destroyed by the
fire as were a number of fittings and other ferry components that had been left outside. The
native plant garden was razed and the mangrove boardwalk badly damaged. Otherwise the
museum was relatively unscathed by the fire.
The newly built ferry wing enabled the Museum to diversify its activities. The temporary
exhibition space, recently renamed the Vera Hatton Gallery, has provided a venue for
travelling exhibitions such as “It’s a Dog’s Life” from the Australian National Archives,
“Captain Cook” from the National Library of Australia and “Home Remedies” from the
Sydney Powerhouse Museum.
A number of exhibitions have been developed in-house providing the opportunity to show off
elements of the museum’s collections that would otherwise remain out of sight. The gallery
has also fostered the involvement of other groups in the local community, most notably Jervis
Bay & Basin Arts, which features two major exhibitions in the gallery each year.
Meanwhile the original native plant garden has been restored and a wetlands habitat garden
created on the opposite side of the building.
The Lady Denman volunteers have also been working to gradually replace the original low
budget, 1980s-style exhibitions with more colourful and professionally designed displays.
The first upgrade was “Koori Coast”, an exhibition about the local Aboriginal communities,
opened in 2003. “Grand Visions”, which explores the many failed plans for developing the
Jervis Bay region followed, then “Jervis Bay 1888 – 1949”. Later this year an exhibition
entitled “Shipping and Shipwrecks” will complete the makeover.
2
The Lady Denman Heritage Complex, with the ferry as its centrepiece, has continued to grow
and flourish. Visitor numbers have increased by about 50% since the opening of the new
wing, from an average of about 8000 for the preceding four years to a peak of 12,450 in
2007-08. (9328 in 2008-09). Visits to the museum shop, Laddie Timbery’s Aboriginal Arts &
Crafts and the Museum grounds, where there is no admission fee, are estimated at around
99,000. In the park people can enjoy the fish harbour, the boardwalk, the native plant
gardens and picnic and barbecue facilities. Our volunteers also organise a monthly market
day in the museum grounds.
Annual turnover has risen from just over $27,000 in 1996 to over $300,000 in 2008-09.
Volunteer numbers are up from about 80 in 1996 to nearly 200 in 2009. A large workshop
with carpentry and metalwork areas has been built to provide a safe and comfortable
environment for the volunteers who maintain the grounds and buildings, fabricate display
furniture and carry out any other odd jobs that need to done.
The Management Committee is currently negotiating to become the official Jervis Bay
Visitor Centre, which is expected to further raise the number of volunteers and visitors.
In the early days, when a small group of enthusiasts were overcoming one hurdle after
another to “bring the Lady Denman home”, they developed important organisational skills.
They learnt the value of gaining community support and of networking. They were never too
proud or too shy to seek the assistance of great and powerful allies. Vera took the trouble to
enrol in a museum studies course and attended Museums Australia conferences where she
extended her knowledge of museum practice and used her networking skills to great effect.
The Royal Australian Navy, the Australian National Maritime Museum, the National
Museum of Australia, the Australian Museum in Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum were
all enlisted to the cause of the Lady Denman Heritage Complex.
From the beginning the Lady Denman community has welcomed new volunteers,
encouraging them use their talents, discover new interests and become involved in different
aspects of the Museum’s operation. (Yes, believe it or not, some people actually get a charge
out of cleaning).
The principle of ‘succession’ is strongly adhered to though not written into the constitution.
Whether it is the position of President, Treasurer or one of the many other key functional
positions in the organisation, potential successors are always being sought out and groomed.
We are, perhaps, fortunate that Jervis Bay region is a ‘sea change’ destination, so there is a
steady trickle of retired people from all walks of life, looking for something interesting and
fulfilling to do in their spare time.
When I joined the Lady Denman in 2005 as part-time Curator, the number of paid staff
jumped from one to one point two. Since then part-time paid positions for an Accountant and
an Admin Officer have brought the professional staff component to a grand total equivalent
of two. A key part of my job is to enlist, train and oversee volunteers working with the
Museum’s collections and I like to think this has been a significant factor in further raising
the standard of collection management at the Lady Denman Heritage Complex. The number
3
of volunteers working in my area has grown from six to fourteen. As the largest and most
significant object in the collection I also co-ordinate the continuing restoration work and
interpretation of the ferry. Vera Hatton retired as Honorary Curator when I started but still
works one day a week as a volunteer in the Collection Management department – surely a
tribute to her commitment to the principle of succession.
As I speak, work is in progress for a further extension to the ferry wing. The new extension
will allow for improved storage space for our collections, a theatrette and a marine
environment interpretation gallery.
The Lady Denman was launched on 5 December 1911. Her hundredth birthday is
approaching rapidly and we plan to celebrate throughout 2012. There is plenty to occupy us
for the next decade. The visionary outlook of the Lady Denman community will ensure that
this museum continues to meet the challenges of change.
For me, the great strengths of the Lady Denman community are: their willingness to seek
appropriate advice and assistance, their ability to attract and retain passionate volunteers and
a determination to foster professional development for paid staff and volunteers alike. No
challenge seems to be too big and there always seems to be enough people with the energy
and ability to tackle new projects. Rather than responding to change it seems that the Lady
Denman Heritage Complex is always one step ahead.
Author: Graham Hinton, Curator – Lady Denman Heritage Complex, Huskisson, NSW
4