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4.    A Home for the Monument

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At a public meeting on 28 June 1979 Stan Delle Vergin, on behalf of the Merimbula Oyster Festival Committee, handed the ‘world’s largest oyster’ to Ron Archer, who planned to display it on his land in Market Street, opposite its intersection with Beach Street, to help promote Merimbula’s oysters as an industry and tourist attraction (see Photograph 4.1).[87]

Also at the public meeting a film of the festival was shown by committee member Conrad de Zwart, ‘which proved to be very interesting and ... appreciated by all present’.[88] It included scenes of the street parade, parachute drop and activities in Spencer Park on Saturday 14 April, children’s International Year of the Child ‘Walk for the World’ and Life Be In It activities on Saturday 21 April, as well as emergency services display and wood chopping competition on Sunday 22 April.[89] A copy of the film, originally filmed by Els de Zwart on 8mm Super 8 film, has been reproduced on DVD with permission of Conrad and Els de Zwart and is held by the Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society at the Old School Museum in Merimbula, together with a copy of my original research paper.

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4.1 Stan Delle Vergin (right) handing the ‘world’s largest oyster’ to Ron Archer, June 1979.[90]

On 25 August 1979 during the official opening of Ron Archer’s mini golf and games room complex (see Map 7.1), Sheree Leary, the 1979 Festival Queen, unveiled the giant oyster in its new, ‘permanent’, location (see Photograph 4.2).[91]

The oyster was photographed in June 1979 for possible inclusion in a proposed south coast tourist book (see Photograph 4.3).[92] The book, Merimbula, Pambula Beach New South Wales: Your Guide to a More Exciting Holiday, was subsequently published in 1980 and featured the oyster on the cover (see Photograph 4.4). A full page was devoted to the festival and the oyster, adding that ‘The World’s Largest Oyster now stands ... as a monument for the Oyster Festival and the unique oyster industry in Merimbula’.[93] Sadly the monument did not enjoy any permanency in its new location; during the 1980 festival it was ‘on public display’ at the Rural Bank (see Map 7.1).[94]

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4.2 Sheree Leary (right) and Ron Archer unveiling the oyster monument at its new ‘permanent’ location, August 1979.[95]

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4.3 Photographer Ian Roberts captures the oyster and Sybilla Schmitz, of Merimbula, June 1979.[96]

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4.4 Cover page Merimbula, Pambula Beach New South Wales: Your Guide to a More Exciting Holiday.[97]