National Trust says Husky church worthy of conservation

The church, designed by Cyril Blackett and completed in 1931, was considered worthy of listing on the National Trust Register at the National Trust’s Built Heritage Conservation Committee’s November meeting. 

The National Trust’s Landscape Conservation Committee and Cemeteries Conservation Committee are also examining this site, bounded by Hawke, Bowen and Currambene Streets and an unnamed laneway. 

Save Husky Church member Shirley Fitzgerald said while she was pleased the National Trust had recognised the significance of the site, the group was still waiting to find out whether the state application for an interim heritage order had been successful. 

“There’s just been silence [from Environment minister Gabrielle Upton], we know people have put in a lot of questions and queries but there hasn’t been any answers,” she said. 

The group lodged an application for an Interim Heritage Order earlier this year after plans to develop the site were released. In November, the heritage council visited the site and referred the decision to Ms Upton. 

“We weren’t given a time frame [as to how long a decision would take] so all we can do is wait,” Ms Fitzgerald said. 

“It is difficult to know what else to do at this stage and effectively nothing can progress.” 

In a letter to Shoalhaven City Council, National Trust director of conservation Graham Quint said the grounds were likely to contain more than the seven unmarked graves already discovered, containing the remains of European and Aboriginal people.

“The identity of many of those buried in the graveyard is yet to be investigated, but the graves of three are known,” he said.

“The church grounds did contain several wooden crosses and gravestones and a white picket fence around two graves, but the monuments have been moved to an unknown location.

“The Trust also understands that King Budd Billy II (c1815 – 31May, 1905) known as the ‘King of Jervis Bay’ was given a full Christian burial in the graveyard adjoining the church on this site, now the church hall.” 

Mr Quint said the National Trust “strongly supported” the state interim heritage order application, which would allow the full heritage significance of this site to be investigated.

While the Save Husky Church group is waiting for a decision to be made, they are still remaining active in the community. 

“We are going out into the community every few weeks just to remind people about the situation and we are still receiving a lot of support,” Ms Fitzgerald said.