The 2026 contenders are…
MG Stage 11.50am, Saturday, May 2
Hosted by Sarah McLeod, with MC Scott McNairn.
Sixth generation Avia Norris returns with Finneas of the Farm Gate on Wray, Clyde River at Batemans Bay. They’re both 12 years of age.
Avia’s brother Riley Norris (10) with Aphrodite.
King of the big oysters, Bernie Connell with Pride of the Clyde on her first outing.
Sean Bell with Banga grown on Australia’s Oyster Coast Shoalhaven Farm at Greenwell Point. Banga is a veteran contender.
Poppy Yiannaros with Georgie, grown by Jim and John Yiannaros grown on the Clyde River by Batemans Bay Oysters.
Demi & Athena Yiannaros with Xena making her debut from Batemans Bay Oysters.
Sally McLean with Little Jim, grown by Jim Wild’s Oysters on the Shoahaven River at Greenwell Point. Our oldest contender at 14 years of age.
Kirk Hargreaves with King Ray III, a new contender. Descendant of Uncle Ray, the 2022 Champion, grown by Oysters on the Clyde at Batemans Bay.
A pet parade for giant oysters!
Australia’s Biggest Oyster Competition showcases the biggest oysters bought to the festival.
The festival record was set in 2024 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 Elisabeth Newfield from Montague Vets will ensure 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.
2026 Champions
| Rank | Oyster | Contestant | Estuary | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pride of the Clyde | Bernie Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.66kg |
| 2 | Georgia | Poppy Yiannaros, Batemans Bay Oysters | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.04kg |
| 3 | Xena | Demi & Athena Yiannaros, Batemans Bay Oysters | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.96kg |
| 4 | King Ray III | Kirk Hargreaves, Oysters on the Clyde | Batemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River | 1.93kg |
| 5 | Banga | Sean Bell, Australia's Oyster Coast, Shoalhaven | Greenwell Point, Shoalhaven | 1.84kg |
| 6 | Finneas | Avia Norris, The Farm Gate on Wray | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.76kg |
| 7 | Aphrodite | Riley Norris, The Farm Gate on Wray | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.64kg |
| 8 | Little Jim | Sally McLean, Jim Wild's Oysters | Greenwell Point, Shoalhaven | 1.41kg |
Previous Champions
2025
| Rank | Oyster | Contestant | Estuary | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Junior | Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.53kg |
| 2 | Maui | Allana McCallum for Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.47kg |
| 3 | Aunty Raelene | Kirk Hargreaves, Oysters on the Clyde | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.26kg |
| 4 | Georgie | Jim Yiannaros, Batemans Bay Oysters | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.22kg |
| 5 | Moana | Tammy Belette for Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.10kg |
| 6 | Banga | Waite Derwent, Australia's Oyster Coast | Shoalhaven & Crookwell Rivers, Greenwell Point | 1.82kg |
| 7 | Little Jim | Sally McLean, Jim Wild's Oysters | Shoalhaven & Crookwell Rivers, Greenwell Point | 1.78kg |
| 8 | Aphrodite, by Ralston Bros | Riley Norris, Oyster Shed on Wray St | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.70kg |
| 9 | Finneas, by Ralston Bros | Avia Norris, Oyster Shed on Wray St | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.54kg |
| 10 | Bay Deano | Dean Broadhurst | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.50kg |
2024
| Rank | Oyster | Contestant | Estuary | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jill | Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 3.01kg |
| 2 | Big Boppa | Bernie & Sharryn Connell | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.44kg |
| 3 | Keithy | Lennoc Oysters | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.40kg |
| 4 | Georgie | John Yiannaros, Batemans Bay Oysters | Batemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River | 2.18kg 32cm |
| 5 | Nick | Jim Yiannaros, Batemans Bay Oysters | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.18kg 26cm |
| 6 | Aunty Raelene | Kirk Hargreaves, Oysters on the Clyde | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 2.09kg |
| 7 | Banga | Waite Derwent, Australia's Oyster Coast | Shoalhaven & Crookhaven Rivers, Greenwell Point | 1.78kg |
| 8 | Finneas, by Ralston Bros | Avia Norris, Oyster Shed on Wray St | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.75kg |
| 9 | Jim III | Sally McLean, Jim Wild's Oysters | Shoalhaven & Crookhaven Rivers, Greenwell Point | 1.70kg |
| 10 | Aphrodite, by Ralston Bros | Avia Norris, Oyster Shed on Wray St | Clyde River, Batemans Bay | 1.69kg |
| 11 | Darryl | Leon & Angela Riepsamen, Goodnight Oysters | Shoalhaven & Crookhaven Rivers, Greenwell Point | 1.54kg |
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
In 2022, Australia’s Biggest Oyster was a close call after two grandes from Batemans Bay came in at exactly the same weight – 2.71 kilograms.
Out came the measuring tape, with ‘Uncle Ray’ by Kirk Hargreaves at Oysters on the Clyde measuring one centimetre longer than Bernie Connell’s ‘Jill’.
2021
| 1 | Jack | Bernie Connell | Bernie Connell, Clyde River | 2.71kg |
| 2 | Uncle Ray | Kirk Hargreaves | Clyde River | 2.33kg |
| 3 | Georgie | Vlasia Yianarros | Batemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River | 1.89kg |
| 4 | Little Jim | Sally McLean | Jim Wild’s Oysters, Shoalhaven | 1.32kg |
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
Proudly supported by Australia's Oyster Coast
