Australia’s Biggest Oyster

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.

Australias Oyster Coast manager Davin, chef colin Fassnidge and farmer Berni Connell stand together after Berni won Australia's Biggest Oyster in 2023.
Australias Biggest Oyster supported by Australia's Oyster Coast

2024 Champions

RankOysterContestantLocationWeight
1JillBernie & Sharryn ConnellClyde River3.01kg
2Big BoppaBernie & Sharryn ConnellClyde River2.44kg
3KeithySteven ConnellLennoc Oysters, Clyde River2.40kg
4NickJohn & Jim YiannarosBatemans Bay Oysters2.18kg
4GeorgieJohn & Jim YiannarosBatemans Bay Oysters2.18kg
5Aunty RaeleneKirk HargreavesOysters on the Clyde2.09kg
6AphroditeAvia Norris & Ben RalstonRalston Bros, Clyde River1.75kg
7FinneasAvia Norris & Ben RalstonRalston Bros, Clyde River1.69kg
8BangaWaite DerwentAustralia's Oyster Coast1.65kg
9Little Jim IIISally McLeanJim Wild's Oysters, Greenwell Point Shoalhaven1.50kg
10DazzaLeon & Angela RiepsamenGoodnight Oysters, Greenwell Point, Shoahaven0.93kg
Bernie Connell with the biggest oyster, Jill at 3.01kg

Previous Champions

1JillBernie ConnellBernie Connell, Clyde River2.74kg
2The Big BwanaBenny MacBernie Connell, Clyde River2.35kg
3 Nick KagiassisBatemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River2.02kg
4GeorgieJohn YiannarosBatemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River2.17kg
5FinneasAvia NorrisFarm Gate on Wray Street, Clyde River1.75kg
6AphroditeJade NorrisFarm Gate on Wray Street, Clyde River1.75kg
7BangaWaite DerwentAustralia’s Oyster Coast, Greenwell Point1.58kg
8Little Jim IIISally McLeanJim Wild’s Oysters, Greenwell Point1.45kg

In 2022, Australia’s Biggest Oyster was a close call after two grandes came in at exactly the same weight – 2.71 kilograms.

Out came the measuring tape, with ‘Uncle Ray’ by Clyde River farmer Kirk Hargreaves winning with one centimetre over Bernie Connell’s ‘Jill’.

Oyster farmer Kirk Hargreaves holds his winning oyster high above his head in victory, it weighs almost 2 kilograms.
2022: Oyster farmer Kirk Hargreaves holds his winning oyster high above his head in victory, it weighs almost 2 kilograms.
1JackBernie ConnellBernie Connell, Clyde River2.71kg
2Uncle RayKirk HargreavesClyde River2.33kg
3GeorgieVlasia YianarrosBatemans Bay Oysters, Clyde River1.89kg
4Little JimSally McLeanJim Wild’s Oysters, Shoalhaven1.32kg
Bernie Connell from Clyde River with his oyster, ‘Jack’, weighing 2.71kg. ‘Jack’ also won the competition back in 2018.
Bernie Connell from Clyde River with his oyster, ‘Jack’, weighing 2.71kg. ‘Jack’ also won the competition back in 2018.

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

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
2019: Five-year-old ‘Hagrid’ from the Clyde River.

Proudly supported by Australia's Oyster Coast

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