Jervis Bay Gallery of Science and the Sea

Warren Halloran is a lifetime collector of intriguing, evocative and unique naval and maritime objects, many of which are housed in this museum. Cabinets in the room's centre contain a collection of historic bladed weapons including dirks, cutlasses and ceremonial sabers as well as navigational instruments.

Around the walls are watercolours by Samuel Elyard (1817-1910) and commissioned works by Ian Hansen, maritime artist.

Also to be seen are relics from the Sobraon (1866-1927), HMAS Sydney (1912-1920s), the Dunbar (lost 1857), shingle ballast from HMS Sirius, fragment of shell from a WWII Japanese midget submarine, and, in a cabinet made of lignum vitae, artefacts from the Invincible, lost between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in 1758 and rediscovered in 1979.

The Gallery of Science and the Sea contains among its diverse treasures archaic firearms and other military artefacts, scrimshaw, tapestries, sea chests, two ship's figureheads, and a small inlaid table made from the wood of two ships that fought in the battle of Cape St Vincent.

There is also material relating to early 20th century plans for a city that never was - "Jervis Bay City Estate, Port of the Federal Capital"; a portrait of William Huskisson, Colonial Secretary from 1827 to 1828, who has the dubious distinction of being the first person ever killed by a train (Stevenson's Rocket, 1830).

The Science and Sea Gallery houses a large range of military swords and firearms. One sword of particular interest is the Lloyds Patriotic Fund sword. This is one of the finest examples of this type of sword. It was presented to Mr William Pitt Bowler for his bravery in battle in 1808.

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