OYSTERS

The history of Australia can be told in an oyster shell. For thousands of years, First Nations communities feasted on these mollusks and collected them in middens – a millennia old example of sustainability. Sydney was literally constructed from oysters. Our roads were paved with them because the shellfish was so abundant, and the crushed-up shells were used in buildings. Oysters also tell a story about migration (thanks to oyster saloons run by Greek migrants) and our ecological future with oysters being used to repair reef damage and revive coastline. 

Featuring Chris Jordan, Indigenous chef and owner of Three Little Birds; Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis, co-authors of In Their Own Image: Greek Australians; Jody Orcher, Ualarai Barkandji woman and bush foods educator; Alex Goad, industrial designer and founder of Reef Design Lab; and Dr Chris Gilles, marine biologist and at the time of recording, program director of The Nature Conservancy (Chris is currently the managing director of SeaGen Aquaculture). 

Image: Alana Dimou.