Early Explorers

It was 35 yrs later an expedition led by George Bass sailed south from Botany Bay to explore the region .Unfortunately the expedition ended in tragedy when the boat capsized at the entrance to a large river. Several sailors lost their lives and Bass wrote in his log that the area was a "Haven for Shoals" hence Shoalhaven became the areas name.

In march 1812 Deputy surveyor George Evans arrived in Jervis Bay aboard the brig Lady Nelson, having volunteered to discover his way back to Sydney by land. His first day of survey work he travelled 10 miles around the foreshore barely surviving a snake bite injury to his leg, which swelled up to the size of his thigh. Continuing the trek around the bay he noticed the absence of a fresh water river this ruled out the area as a permanent settlement. Proceeding further northward the party was tormented by large flys (march flys), tremendous hardships and starvation as they blazed ther way for many days up the Shoalhaven river in search of a narrow spot to cross in bark canoes.They finally reached Appin by the end of april

In 1811 Governor Lachlan Macquarie visited Jervis Bay and realised the importance of the excellent safe anchorage but any plan for a large settlement was abandoned because access by land was difficult. The Shoalhaven & Clyde rivers isolated the area.

"The Lady Nelson off Bowen Island". Governor Macquarie in company with Mrs. Macquarie on board the LAdy Nelson, took shelter in Jervis Bay on the 5th November, 1811.

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