History

 Before settlement the Yalukit-willam clan of the Kulin nation roamed the thin coastal strip from Werribee to Williamstown/Hobsons Bay . There can be little doubt that the rocky outcrops and relatively shallow waters of Jawbone would have been one of the favourite areas for collecting mussels, oysters and other fresh shellfish.

The Victorian Rifle Association had established a rifle range in Port Melbourne in 1862. However, it faced increasing pressure from encroaching suburbs and was closed by the late 1870’s. The Victorian Government was persuaded to purchase some 322 acres of land for the purpose of a new rifle range near the corner of Choroid Creek Road in Victoria Street in Williamstown. The original plans called for 68 targets at a cost of £1400. The remainder of the works were performed by prisoners held in the many prison hulks anchored nearby. The rifle range was subsequently known as the Merit Rifle Range after Col Sir Charles E Merrett CBE, VD. Rifle shooting continued until 1990 when the land was set aside for a residential estate .

Contemporary sailing directions for the area specified that vessels should keep at least 200 yards from the rifle range on shore. Maps show the area marked by danger buoys in 1897. By 1907 those bu’s oys had changed to beacons .

 Jawbone Marine Sanctuary forms part of the system of 13 Marine National Parks and 11 Marine Sanctuaries in Victorian waters and was included on Schedule 8 of the National Park Act on 16 November 2002 (appendix 1).

 The sanctuary includes areas to high watermark that were formerly part of Jawbone Flora and Fauna Reserve, which was created in 1990 after the Merrett Rifle Range was decommissioned in 1986.

For the 110 years during the operation of the rifle range, public coastal access was prohibited for safety reasons, and the marine flora and fauna and coastal vegetation along with important habitat for migratory and local seabirds and shorebirds were fortuitously protected from human disturbance.

 The mangrove community among the basalt rocks is one of the few stands of mangroves in Port Phillip and is of State significance. Along with intertidal saltmarsh, mudflats and seagrass beds, the mangroves provide important habitat for many species including seabirds and shorebirds. Intertidal and subtidal basalt reefs support dense and diverse algae communities, numerous fish and invertebrate species.

 The strong maritime history of Williamstown is evident through several remnant shipwrecks in the sanctuary waters.

(Source: Parks Victoria: Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Management Plan 2007)