The Winds of Change
The oyster industry is very much moving with the times and has a bright future ahead as it adopts cutting edge technology.
A quick visit to the history books shows how change has shaped oyster farming as is continuing to guarantee its prosperity into the future.
When the white settlers turned up, oysters were easily chipped off the rocky shores and were an important part of the colonial diet. They were also threatened with extinction as live oysters were burnt to produce lime for mortar. Indeed a lime burning kiln still exists on sunset point at Tanilba and if you look closely at the walls of Tanilba House you can see pieces of the shells in the grouting.
The governor banned the practice of using oysters for the manufacture of cement.
Early commercial farming stacked slabs of sandstone to catch the oysters which were chipped off when mature. Also, the use of black mangrove sticks forming 'teepees' were used in cultivation to keep fish away and at a later time racks became the next step in oyster production.
Tarred sawn one inch square hardwood sticks set out in long racks became the preferred method for many years. They were surrounded by wire mesh fences to keep the predatory fish at bay. This was very labour intensive and costly but the modern era has changed all that.
Cleaning up old racks was a time consuming job so Colin Phillips from Oyster Cove bought a war surplus US army LVT 'Water Buffalo' which he used to push the old posts and racks into the mud. For many years it sat on the edge of the sea wall surrounded by weeds until it was sold for scrap.
Commercially grown spat of disease resistant varieties can be grown out in baskets. This eliminates the 'catching' of spat and much of the hand culling process of yesteryear.
An even more efficient method, developed in New Zealand, is taking hold and it works like this:
The spat is put in plastic swivel baskets which float on the surface and are 'flipped ' by a gadget from a moving boat. When harvesting and culling the single supporting wire is lifted onto a platform and the baskets are opened from the end. Interested? Punch up 'flip farm' on You Tube and it will all be explained.
John Clarke's book 'Oysterman' is an excellent source of living history and explains everything you will ever want to know.
Prices of this delicacy are very much on the rise and are driven by supply and demand. Indeed at the moment, in the wholesale Sydney markets they fetch around $30 for a dozen opened plate oysters.
Photos: A 'Water Buffalo' similar to the type used by Colin Phillips for clearing old racks..... and farmer Paul North with prime local oysters.
Tribute to Ian Hicks
In a reflective tribute to former Fire Captain Ian Hicks, RFS members and friends gathered at the Tilligerry Fire station recently to honour the memory of the 37 year veteran. Later the same day they joined with family and locals in a celebration of his life at Club Lemon Tree where Ian was a long time greenkeeper. A plaque will be put up as a memento.
Ian's happiest years were spent when firefighting was localized and independent. The LTP station was built by volunteer labour with assistance from tradies and local businesses.
The station was for use by any community group: The district nurse used the kitchen to check the health of young babies; a
kindergarten and Sunday school were stationed there; It was used as a cinema and a meeting point for the teenagers; Public meetings and the elections took place within its walls and the Coast Guard had its base station there. The infants' teachers at the old LTP School had the keys and the toilets were available for the children when they used the nearby park and play equipment each week.
The brigade put on an annual market day, bonfire and fireworks display which became the most prominent community event of the year.
Ian was part of a 'secret' release of some 50 koalas in the early days. We suspect that they came from the bush when Grahamstown was built and flooded the forested area. Whatever the case, Bernie Henderson and Norm Brooks swore Ian to secrecy as they had him take the caged koalas off the back of Norm's truck and open them as they slowly drove over the fire trail between Mallabula and LTP. Ian collected the empty cages on the way back.
He told of how he and a fire crew helped to win a war game between a US carrier base strike force and RAAF Williamtown: They were our at the Oyster Cove DZ doing driver training where they saw some Air Force blokes running out two parallel lines of half 44 gallon drums. They explained how they were going to light up the diesel in the drums to 'fake' the Williamtown runway after they had 'blacked out' the base. Ian explained that they would need petrol mixed with it to get it to ignite so the crew drove back to LTP to get some.
The RAAFies were very grateful and asked the crew to sit in on the exercise. Sure enough, sometime after dark the US fighters zoomed in and 'bombed' the fake runway. The RAAF won the war game!
These and other stores involving Ian are recorded in 'White Overall Days' which is available from the local library.
Ian was also invited as a role model for the local children to present the 'Brooks Award' at the then new Tanilba Bay School.
Ian passed away at 79 after a long illness. He was privately cremated.
Photos: Ian showing off his awards!...... Ian's memory being preserved at the new fire station........A copy of White Overall Days
Podcasts, Streaming and AI
The media landscape is changing at a pace which is leaving newspapers and free to air TV a thing of the past.
'Streaming' sees movies and documentaries sent direct to your home.
The 'Podcast' was once known as sound archives and they preserved our history through interviews with older people and those who made an impact on society.
Bruce Mac Kenzie was one such person to tell his life's story in 1987 to Tanilba researcher Margaret Owler. You can access the sound archive by Googling: 'Living Histories University of Newcastle Bruce Mackenzie.' Of course Bruce has achieved a great deal more since that time. His childhood saw a very poor boy through sheer hard work and determination rise to be the longest serving Shire President and millionaire businessman.
The modern day podcast really took off in Australia when Hedley Thomas put out his top rating podcast 'Teacher's Pet'. It saw Thomas become something of a super sleuth in getting a High School PE teacher convicted of the murder of his wife. It also unmasked a ring of teachers on Sydney's Northern Beachers which preyed on innocent students. One of these (a woman) went to jail and the case is still open.
Over 50 000 000 views worldwide were registered and Thomas has since moved on to new unsolved cases. His current investigation is centred around the disappearance of a North Coast woman.
The latest media breakthrough has been AI (artificial intelligence) whereby machines can sift through data and write reports. Universities are plagued by assignments written this way and find it hard to separate the genuine documents from the fake.
Newspaper stories can also be written by machines and photos faked. Indeed what you are reading now could very well be the work of AI and not composed by a real reporter. What do you think?
Photo: Bruce Mac Kenzie.....his 1987 'podcast' preserved by the university.
Gold Rush
There's been something of a gold rush over the past few years and the government needs to share much of the blame. You see, one of the ways they try to get out of financial problems is to print more money – billions of dollars of the stuff. Of course they like fancy words to disguise this and call it 'quantitative easing'.
It's not new and in Germany after WW1 hyperinflation saw people needing a wheelbarrow full of banknotes to buy a loaf of bread.
That's why prices have risen at the checkout and there is less in the packets for the same price.
On the other hand, houses and land have soared in value because to replace them costs a fortune. Take our Koala Bay estate. The first blocks were passed in at an auction for around $80 000 and today the few left are resold at over $300 000!
When it comes to gold, in these uncertain inflationary times it has taken off like a rocket. The precious metal slumbered away at around A$ 500 per troy oz for some 25 years but since 2006 it has risen to about $3500 for the same amount.
This in turn has sparked a new goldrush amongst the trendy city folk with their gold washing cradles, pans and metal detectors reworking the old diggings around Bathurst, Bendigo and Kalgoorlie. Even if they find nothing they get to see the bush and the exercise lifts their spirits.
The real winners in the great rushes of the 1850s weren't the diggers. They were the hawkers and those selling stuff to them. They worked on the principle of: 'The ones who make the money are those who sell the shovels!'
Can't you see right now the owners of fossicking stores rubbing their hands together as their tills buge with cash put there by the hopefuls who have forked out a fortune for the gear that they hope will make them rich?
Want to know more? Boot up 'gold fossicking videos' on you tube and let the professional lead you through the process.
Photo: Gold bullion..... Now trading at $ 3 500 per ounce.
The Man in Black
With the focus these days on the disintegration of the roads, perhaps it's time to turn our attention to the silent victims of the unrelenting wild weather.
Our oyster farmers are doing it tough because their cash flow has ceased as the authorities have stopped the harvesting and sale of oysters. They rightly complain that they do not cause any of the problems with the water run off but have to pay for the testing and repairs to their leases.
But dear reader, there are those at the top who do care about them and it was during a previous wild cyclonic event that our then State Governor David Hurley AC, CVO, DSC, FTSE choppered in to listen to our farmers and to thank our local firies for their efforts in restoring power. Fallen trees had cut power lines which were out for a week in some areas.
Since then David Hurley has served as Governor General of Australia and has retired after a distinguished military career.
Oysters are filter feeders and help to purify turbid estuarine systems and are an important contributor to our economy. Let's hope that from here on in to the prime havesting season leading up to Xmas, the rain stops and the farmers take advantage of the higher prices.
Photo: The man in black, David Hurley and his wife during his morale lifting visit with our local firies at Tilligerry RSL.
The Answer to our Pothole Problems
The biggest issue concerning Tilligerry residents this year has been the breakup of the main road between Salt Ash and LTP.
Former councillor and Deputy Mayor Steve Tucker said that the only permanent solution was to have the State Government declare it an arterial road and accept responsibility for it.
“Over the years, they have given us grants for this road to upgrade sections. This totalled millions of dollars. PSSC just can't afford this type of money as they are flat out maintaining and rebuilding and repairing the existing roads within the townships themselves”, he said.
On another issue, Steve said that more money would be available for roadwork if every resident paid a fair share of rates.
“ Some of those who live in retirenment villages pay a fraction of the rates that the rest of us do. To increase the rates for everybody would be unfair. We need a rate structure in which all road users contribute on an equitable basis.”
“Roads and drainage are the top priority with residents and I ran on this issue. That's why I was re-elected time and again over the past 20 years”, he stated.
Photos: Sign on our main road....The rebuilt Ave of the Allies Tanilba Bay...and Steve Tucker... roads and drains need more funding.
Open all Hours
Tilligerry.com always gives new businesses a leg-up when they open and 'have a go'.
Tanilba Mart has just taken over the shop front once known as 'The Oyster Shack' on the main road at Tanilba Bay. When we were there, signwriters were busy with bright fresh hoardings to catch the eye of passing motorists.
The owner, Monayem Khan said that he was open from 9am to 10pm, seven days per week.
“We stock all kinds of American and local drinks,” he said. “We also carry a wide range of lollies, chips and chocolate bars.”
Why not drop in and see for yourself?
Photo: New owner Monayem outside Tanilba Mart.
Iron Man
It's a quiet sunny day and a retired couple sit on the hill opposite where the once majestic BHP steelworks once
stood. They unpack their picnic lunch, look over the now barren site and reminisce about times long gone.
The man in question is Aubrey Brooks and he and his wife Peg have travelled in from Tanilba Bay where they live in a modest single storey home.
Man of iron, man of steel....call him what you will but the late Aubrey Brooks will live on in the memories of Newcastle's steel workers due to his lifetime commitment to BHP. He was a third generation employee of the now international company. What's more the newspapers and TV cameras loved his rugged image as he seemed to epitomise the working class man of his day.
On the last day of its operation, Aubrey led the workforce to the entrance gates and made a speech on their behalf. He was also filmed flicking the switch to bring the operation to a grinding halt. Newcastle and the lives of all who lived there would never be the same again.
The company however offered Aub a job as a night watchman to roam around with a torch in hand as a security officer. It frightened him being alone with the ghosts of those who once worked there so he resigned.
There was no way that he could embark on a new career as iron was well and truly in his blood and he spent the rest of his life keeping the memory alive.
He offered his services to give talks to community groups and his fame quickly spread after he led the push to establish the 'Muster Point' in a nearby park as a memorial to workers who had died in serving the company.
To do this he and his fellow travellers needed money and in a deal to support politicians they came good with the dollars.
The centrepiece of the Muster Point is a rusting monolithic structure which captures the spirit of the steel industry. Aub would conduct bus tours of the site and answer question about BHP and its history.
He was also moved to offer up his services to train women in defensive tactics after reading of them being set upon and being assaulted at night. He was a highly trained black-belt recipient of an Oriental martial art. This he became involved with as young man which he confessed got him away from 'the wrong crowd'.
To his wife Peg and children we express our sincere condolences to a 'one off' character who stood head and shoulders above the rest of us.
Picture: Aub at his Tanilba Bay home.
Aub Gets Award
this story is in memory of Aub - a great friend of tilligerry.com
During July, a large group of Australia Top Karateka for presentations at Tilligerry RSL. To Hanshi Peter Oberekar 9th Degree, included in these awards was Tanilba Bay resident
Aubrey Brooks who was awarded his 6th Degree Black Belt after years of dedicated training in the Rembukan /Rembuden Martial Organization. The Presentation was made by Grand Master Dennis May from New Zealand
Aubrey Brooks OAM
Director
Picture: various images from a fantastic day of celebration
Solar Savings
Power bills have soared and PSSC is considering extending the winter down time at its three pools to save money.
As things stand they have maximised the solar harvesting at Tilligerry after a $30 000 insurance payout replaced the panels on the hall next door. A bushfire spotted onto the old ones which were written off.
The pool is now open between 6am and noon weekdays and for shorter periods of a weekend.
The pool is also used by lappers, skin diver trainees and our Marine Rescue does survival courses there. Kids' birthday parties are also popular.
The thermostat is set at a very comfortable 26 C.
Photos: A lifeguard showing the solar hot water delivery pipes and a Marine Rescue crew practises survival skills.
Lift for Library
But where is it? This is most asked question by those wanting to borrow books in Tilligerry.
The town public library is situated on the main road opposite the Lemon Tree Passage Motel and when open, has a 'library' flag fluttering from a pole in front of it.
It's been there for decades and is staffed by volunteers and operates from 10am until noon six days per week. (Monday to Saturday).
A big makeover a couple of years back saw new carpet, reader friendly furniture and a slick paint job spruce it up.
What's more, a heavy cull of the least read books and an injection of new stock has something for everyone, including children.
Tilligerry Men's Shed workers have just removed the old overgrown sign and have carved a new one which is much more visible.
Business is more or less back to normal after a year or so of roadwork disruptions and the construction of a new police station two doors away. Council have taken over the computer access and has 2 brand new computers. A new scanner is on order and you will now be able to print A4 colour pages.
The library augments the mobile service which visits the villages of Tanilba Bay, Mallabula and Lemon Tree Passage on a rotational basis.
Both services have now recovered from the Covid lockdown restrictions and are back up to pace.
Photos: The LTP Library after the makeover......and the new sign giving it better visibility.
Book Donations
Tilligerry Community Library has always enjoyed the support of the community donating their books. Whilst we do appreciate them, we can only accept them with prior consultation. Our hours are 10-12 noon Monday to Saturday and our phone number is 4982 3477 if you wanted to call up or pop in and check with us before bringing them in. Please don’t leave them at the door.
More than Just a News Service
You've seen our illuminated sign 'tilligerry.com' beside the main road near the golf club as you drive into town at night.
With news services moving away from the print media, tilligerry.com for over 10 years now has moved with the times and gives local residents the news that they can't get anywhere else. Indeed, those travelling around Australia or internationally can keep up to date with a click on a mouse or a mobile phone.
Before our 'hit meter' broke down we were averaging around 2000 views each month. We have a few businesses supporting us but we really don't want advertisers as we are a not for profit community service.
It gets even better. There are constant requests, usually from residents new to the area, for general information about available services and organizations out this way.
We now have an extensive community directory listing some 80 of these which includes: churches, clubs, social groups, cultural events, schools, tourist information, community support, JPs, medical services, play groups and pre schools.
Photo: tilligerry.com more than just news.
elebrating the re-opening.
