THE WOOL RD leading to THE OLD WOOL RD
In the late 1830s landowners in the Braidwood/Nerriga district found their land was ideal for raising sheep but the problem was to get the wool clip to Sydney.
It seemed hauling the wool to Sydney markets was time consuming and costly, so the sheep graziers searched for another solution and decided that, taking the wool by road up from Nerriga then across country to South Huskisson to then be loaded on a Sydney bound boat would be the ideal solution.
This was to be a private road of approximately 37kms funded by landowners including Dr Colin McKenzie and Thomas Braidwood Wilson.
James Larmer officially surveyed the Wool Rd in 1840 apparently by the use of existing Aboriginal footpads in the section leading from Wandean Gap down to the coast. The road then skirted Wandandian Creek with a short trip up the existing Princes Highway then via Basin View, St Georges Basin and leading to South Huskisson.
In 1841 the sailing ship Isabella took 14 convicts, tools and rations to South Huskisson to commence the road leading from Jervis Bay. These labourers would start at the flat and easier eastern end
At a public meeting at the South Huskisson Hotel a company was formed to finance the construction of a wharf the site of which is subject to some conjecture but believed to be in the area of Holden St, Vincentia boat ramp.
It is also stated there was a 2000 bale-capacity wool store built in this South Huskisson area.
A second convict work force was assembled from surrounding properties at the western end. Work commenced at Endrick River east of Nerriga with the idea of meeting the other group.
Only hand tools such as picks, shovels, saws and axes were available to the convicted labourers and fortunately they weren’t expected to build a super highway, just a rough bush track that dodged between large trees.
Amazingly the road took only 10months to complete with the entrance required at Bulee Gap created by blasting away a narrow neck of sandstone rock to bring the road onto the plateau of the Pigeon House Range. 
Blasting was also needed to create a pass for the descent through the Wandean Gap to give access to the coast.
As the road neared completion, the road gang became a nuisance at the Jervis Bay end,  a report stated that, ‘Scenes of debauchery and violence are of daily occurrence, there being no magistrate or constable to control them”.
The road from Nerriga to Jervis Bay, The Wool Rd was completed in October 1841 and by late 1842 there was a road capable of taking wheeled traffic to Jervis Bay from Braidwood and beyond.
The Jervis Bay option was not successful, in wet weather there were complaints that it was taking too long to get the wool to market.
Geographic and economic difficulties affected The Wool Rd that caused it to fail in a relatively short time. It has been stated powerful Sydney merchants lobbied to have the route changed but also the steep descent proved a problem for the cumbersome bullock drays of the day and this slowness led to ships being delayed at Jervis Bay with at least a ship on one occasion leaving without taking on cargo there.
With hindsight Larmer’s route of the Wool Road via the Wandean Gap was deemed to have been a poor choice with far better routes for roads over the coastal escarpment be found later.
In 1856 the road was rerouted away from Jervis Bay to then become the Braidwood Rd and headed to Terrara.
THE OLD WOOL RD – A Shoalhaven City Council managed 20metre wide road reserve stated by have been in Council hands since 1889. This important natural area remnant section of the Wool Rd now leads from Island Point Rd through to The Wool Lane.
This short section of approximately 1.5kms has virtually been ignored by Shoalhaven City Council and has become degraded to such an extent that in some sections it is not traversable.
This has been due in part to changes in the water flow regime, ie tree removal on adjacent properties, road works associated with SGB by pass at Island Pt Rd and use of trail bikes. Adding to and exacerbating these issues was the continuing heavy rains normal for St Georges Basin.
With the OWR track being fairly impassable trail bike riders have created their own bike tracks through the adjacent privately owned land, leaving parts of the OWR to revegetate. 
Whilst being ignored the road has been permitted to regenerate and with that regeneration some valuable remnants St Georges Basin bushland can be found in this section. 
To add to the historic and ecological value of the OWR there is the Council managed 2.2 hectare Lot 70 DP 25550 zoned as a Natural Area and SGB bushland. These with other Council land to the east and west would increase and highlight the valuable asset in the midst of SGB and Sanctuary Point or local residents, and visitors to the area. 
The historic and environmental history can also be utilised by schools as an education tool
Points raised and to be investigated.
FUTURE INVESTIGATION? 
Investigate the east and west links under Council management to ensure protection for these natural bushland properties.
These Lots combined with the OWR and DP Lot 70 would create a most valuable asset of walking trails for the St Georges Basin area and indeed the Shoalhaven.
Note: The Council managed eastern lots include an existing concrete pathway zoned C2 commencing at The Wool Land, leading behind houses in Anson St and Vost Drive to the old tip. The tip itself is zoned SP2 but aerial photos show the bulk of the property is fully treed.
The pathway ends but the walk can be continued through to The Wool Rd reserve also it seems zone SP2? 
All of these areas have high value remnant natural bushland but not all zoned for protection.