Foreword

The oyster industry has been an important component of Merimbula’s livelihood since the 1920s but for eons before that the shellfish had been a staple in the diet of the Aboriginal people. Middens in the area attest to the feasting which took place during seasonal migrations to the coast and have been dated back over 3,000 years.

The place of the oyster in the European diet has changed over the centuries, as have the methods of farming this delicacy and the distribution of the product to consumers. The industry has also found a niche in tourism and the Merimbula Oyster Festivals celebrated all these aspects.

Gary Selman had the insight to realise that these festivals were also an important feature of the area’s social life and, as we prepared to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the first festival, understood that the information about the festivals was in danger of being lost as there was no written record of the people involved or the activities undertaken. There is the misconception that ‘history’ concerns events which happened before living memory, but we make history every day so it is important to retain the details that can be passed on to future generations. By making ‘Merv’ the pivotal subject of this book, Gary has woven the story of the Oyster Festivals into the fabric of Merimbula’s communal history and acknowledged the contributions of the people who staged the events.

Gary Selman has had an interest in the history of the local area since moving to Merimbula in 2004 and his academic qualifications have given him a solid grounding for his painstaking research. He has interviewed people who were involved in both the oyster and tourism industries over the past 40 years and accessed original source material on which he has based his account of the Merimbula Oyster Festival Monument and the Oyster Festivals it commemorates.

He is to be congratulated for his dedication and scholarship and the Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society is grateful for his contribution to the written record of the area’s history, as well as for his ongoing practical support of the running of the Society and the Old School Museum.

Shirley Bazley OAM

Honorary Secretary

Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society Inc.

Merimbula NSW Australia