Oysters grew naturally in the George's River on the roots of mangroves, the rocky shores, and on the bottom of the river. These oysters were collected by the Aborigines, and from early in the nineteenth century by European settlers.
The collection of oysters eventually became so common that foreshore oysters became rare, and in the 1860's dredging for deep water oysters began.
The first attempt to grow the oysters commercially appears to be by the Hon. Thomas Holt in the early 1870's. He owned Gwaley Bay, and here he dug a system of channels, known as claires, with the flow of water being regulated by dams and food gates. He had seen this system work in France, however it was a failure in the George's River, as the shallow water became too hot, and siltation was a problem.
By about 1870 the river was almost bare of oysters, and the government closed the river to oyster gatherers for several years.
A lease of the whole of Botany Bay, the George's River and its tributaries was then offered, and taken up by Albert Emerson, who paid £131 per year for the lease. Mr. Emerson had his base at O'Connells Bay, and he was the proprietor of the Sea Breeze Hotel at Tom Ugly's Point. He employed men to gather oysters from the foreshores, and to use a diving suit with apparatus mounted on a punt, to gather oysters in water up to fifteen foot deep. In 1876 he had between twenty and thirty men employed, including some South Sea Islanders.
Following legislation in 1884 smaller leases were given for between ten and fifteen years. James Derwent of Salisbury Street, Hurstville had a lease in Kyle Bay, and his son Andrew Derwent took up a lease in Neverfail Bay, Oatley about 1886.
The Derwents introduced the tray method of cultivation in which a tray made of wood and wire netting, and coated with tar is used to hold the oysters. The stick method of cultivation was developed in Port Stephens in the 1930's.
LUGARNO OYSTER LEASES
Mr. J.H. Geddes bought 100 bags of oysters from his lease in Port Hacking to develop in his George's River lease in about 1888. Port Hacking was too salty to grow full sized oysters, but oysters from Port Hacking were used to replenish the George's River leases. However there were problems with mud worm disease at this time. Later the Matthei family bought Geddes land and cultivated oysters in Lime Kiln Bay, and Adolph Peters had a lease in Edith Bay. Peters tried growing oysters on beds made by constructing stone rectangles, however he found that silt was brought in by the tides, and this method had to be abandoned. It was found that spat (the spawn of oysters) were attracted to mangrove wood frames, and they could be transferred to trays after they had started to grow.
Public opinion turned against oyster farming, and from 1954 the Chief Secretary's Department looked unfavourably upon oyster leases between Taren Point and Lugarno.
The Lugarno and District Progress Association objected to renewal of oyster leases, and members became trustees of public oyster leases, in order to open up the foreshores, allow dredging of the river, and avoid problems such as the siltation of the river, restrictions on boating, and the destruction of natural beauty.
Objections were made to proposed leases off Moons Reserve in 1959, and its renewal in 1974, and to a renewal of a lease off the eastern end of Woodlands Avenue.
In September 1963 the East Como Progress Association organized a meeting of Progress Associations along the river to discuss siltation, pollution and expanding oyster leases. The Chief Secretary's Department was asked to adopt a policy leading to the eventual elimination of oyster leases in George's River, and Councils were asked to support this policy, and to support dredging of the river and reclaiming low lying areas for recreation facilities.
In 1965-66 the Chief Secretaries Department adopted a new policy which extended oyster leases into the middle of bays, but kept them 45 foot from the high water mark, and away from recreation reserves. Non-commercial leases were to be terminated, and new leases were to be for a term of 20 years.
The Lugarno Progress association opposed this policy, and sought to have the George's River declared open space under the County of Cumberland planning scheme, so that town planning procedures would be followed in relation to oyster leased. The Hurstville Municipal Council opposed the new leases in Gungah Bay, Jewfish Bay and Lime Kiln Bay, but did not object to leases in the centre of the river, or off Soily Bottom Point.
More recently oyster growers have been concerned with the health of consumers, particularly since the gastro-enteritis epidemic of 1978. Fresh water tanks, filters and ultra-violet lights have been used to ensure the quality of the product.