Basic Profile

Origin
Hastings River, Port Macquarie, mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia
Species
Saccostrea glomerata (Sydney Rock Oyster)
Classification
Farmed on river leases
Farming Method
Sydney rock oysters in baskets on river leases
Producer
Hastings River growers
Visual Signature
Small, thick-shelled Sydney rock oyster

"It was supposed to be our biggest year ever," David Tunstead told the ABC in November 2021. He is a fifth-generation oyster farmer on the Hastings River at Port Macquarie. In March that year a flood swept about 4,000 of his baskets out to sea, each holding roughly nine dozen oysters.1

The Hastings River at Port Macquarie, seen from the North Shore, August 2010
The Hastings River at Port Macquarie, seen from the North Shore, August 2010. Photo: Christopher Wood / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Count

Tunstead put the oysters carried away at about $100,000. Another $30,000 worth died where they stayed, a fifth of what was left, in water that ran brown for five weeks. A neighbouring farmer lost close to $500,000 in oysters and gear. Tunstead's first harvest after the flood came that November.1

Neighbouring rivers are covered in the Manning River and Camden Haven profiles.

Flavor Breakdown

The water
A large river meeting the sea at a town. Fresh water keeps the salt down, and our scores put sweetness at four and brine at two.
The finish
Earthy and savory. A plump northern rock oyster, softer than the lake oysters of the far south coast.

What Makes Hastings River Unique

The Hastings is a river of old oyster families, and one flood took most of a year's work from them.1

A sweet, plump mid-north-coast rock oyster. Buy it in Port Macquarie from the people who grow it.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

A sweeter rock oyster, good with a squeeze.

Pairing Guide

1
Hunter Valley Semillon

Lean and lemony.

2
Lager

Cold and simple.

OptimalLemon
AcceptablePlain
AvoidHeavy sauces

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • People who like fuller, sweeter rock oysters
  • Travelers on the Pacific Highway
Sources
  1. Johnson, K. (5 November 2021). "Port Macquarie oyster farmers welcome first harvest since once-in-a-century flood event." ABC Rural. abc.net.au
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