A pet parade for giant oysters!
Australia’s Biggest Oyster Competition showcases the biggest oysters bought to the festival.
The title is held by ‘Jill’ a 3.01kg whopper grown by champions Bernie and Sharryn Connell in Bhundoo, the Clyde River at Batemans Bay.
The competition was launched in 2019, after we attempted to enter the Guinness Book of Records with what we thought was the World’s Biggest Oyster. It turned out out the way we measure ‘big’ was different to theirs – we go by weight, whereas the world record is set by length. A pitch to include weight, or establish a new category, was unsuccessful.
Now, the Australian Book of Records recognises largest oyster by weight and we are proud to be the joint inaugural title holders with Bernie and Sharryn.
This festival favourite shines a light on the Pacific Oyster, a species that can grow to weigh several kilograms and live for up to a decade.
Dr Kate LeBars from Montague Vets ensures each oyster is clean and healthy before it is weighed. If there is a tie (which happened in 2022), out comes the measuring tape to see who has the longest shell. After the winner is crowned, you can meet the farmers and see the oysters up close.
This event is proudly supported by Australia’s Oyster Coast, Australia’s largest producer of Sydney Rock Oysters.
2024 Champions
Rank | Oyster | Contestant | Location | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jill | Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River | 3.01kg |
2 | Big Boppa | Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River | 2.44kg |
3 | Keithy | Steven Connell | Lennoc Oysters, Clyde River | 2.40kg |
4 | Nick | John & Jim Yiannaros | Batemans Bay Oysters | 2.18kg |
4 | Georgie | John & Jim Yiannaros | Batemans Bay Oysters | 2.18kg |
5 | Aunty Raelene | Kirk Hargreaves | Oysters on the Clyde | 2.09kg |
6 | Aphrodite | Avia Norris & Ben Ralston | Ralston Bros, Clyde River | 1.75kg |
7 | Finneas | Avia Norris & Ben Ralston | Ralston Bros, Clyde River | 1.69kg |
8 | Banga | Waite Derwent | Australia's Oyster Coast | 1.65kg |
9 | Little Jim III | Sally McLean | Jim Wild's Oysters, Greenwell Point Shoalhaven | 1.50kg |
10 | Dazza | Leon & Angela Riepsamen | Goodnight Oysters, Greenwell Point, Shoahaven | 0.93kg |
Previous Champions
2023
1 | Jill | Bernie Connell | Bernie Connell, Clyde River | 2.74kg |
2 | The Big Bwana | Benny Mac | Bernie Connell, Clyde River | 2.35kg |
3 | Nick Kagiassis | Batemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River | 2.02kg | |
4 | Georgie | John Yiannaros | Batemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River | 2.17kg |
5 | Finneas | Avia Norris | Farm Gate on Wray Street, Clyde River | 1.75kg |
6 | Aphrodite | Jade Norris | Farm Gate on Wray Street, Clyde River | 1.75kg |
7 | Banga | Waite Derwent | Australia’s Oyster Coast, Greenwell Point | 1.58kg |
8 | Little Jim III | Sally McLean | Jim Wild’s Oysters, Greenwell Point | 1.45kg |
2022
2021
2019
Five-year-old Pacific oyster ‘Hagrid’ from the Clyde River won in 2019. ‘Hagrid’ weighed in at 2.25kg, and was grown by Martin Jackson of Southern Oyster Culture.
Hagrid pipped 2018 international celebrity winner ‘Jack’ who weighed 2.18kg. Owner Bernie Connell said ‘Jack’ had spawned in the last week or so following pre-festival media attention, and lost several hundred grammes in the process