HOW did a Gamilaraay man from Walgett, some 460 kilometres from the coast, end up representing Australia at the world oyster opening championship?

As Gerard ‘Doody’ Dennis says, “being Aboriginal from the black soil plains and representing Australia in opening oysters is quite ironic”.

Perhaps his great-grandmother, a Yuin woman who was stolen from Wallaga Lake, passed something down to him.

Mr Dennis moved to Batemans Bay when he was 14.

Through school he did work experience at T & J Lucas Oysters and then worked weekends at Batemans Bay Oysters.

He loved the work – it was physical and out on the water – so started a two-year traineeship for a Certificate IV in Aquaculture with C & J Single Seed Oysters.

He completed it at Batemans Bay Oysters where he did quality tests…