Historical Significance & Natural Riches of the South Coast NSW
Traditional Owners
The Bermaguee (Bermagui) area is home to the Yuin tribes, the traditional owners of the land and sea from Cape Howe (Victoria) to the Shoalhaven River and inland to the Great Dividing Range. Barunguba (Montague Island), Gulaga and Nadjanuka (Mt Dromedary and Little Drom), are just a few of the many sacred sites of significant spiritual importance to the Yuin tribes who had a sacred connection with the land and sea.
Aerial image of Gulaga, Dromedary from Eurobodalla©
The Wealth of Seafood on The South Coast of NSW
This region thrives with nutrient-rich volcanic soil, estuaries and ocean environments, producing world-renowned fish, oysters as well as dairy. The fertile land, enriched by the dormant Gulaga (Dromedary Mountain) volcanic system, including Nadjanuka (Little Dromedary Mountain), and Barunguba (Montague Island), has been the site for two prominent gold rushes, the Montreal Goldfield being the closest gold mine to the ocean in Australia.
Nurturing native land and marine life for 60 million years, along with its proximity to the oceanic continental shelf, enhances the area's unique culture and makes this region a fishing and food lover's paradise.
Bermagui Fishermen's Co-op in the 1950's.
Bermagui Fishermen’s Cooperative
A Seafood Legacy Since 1946
The Bermagui Fishermen’s Co-op was founded in 1946 by a group of visionary fishermen, who cemented Bermagui’s place in the commercial fishing industry. Building on the early 1900s game fishing industry and the bustling timber trade, the Bermagui Fishermen’s Co-operative regulated fish marketing and handling. This ultimately created the demand for shipping direct to Sydney and solidified the community's economic foundation.
The Australian Record breaking Black Marlin, captured in 1937, in front of Welsh's Butcher (now the Bakery ) on Lamont Street, Bermagui.
By the late 1970s, after the peak of the gold rush and the timber trade had declined or migrated further south to Eden, commercial fishing became the main trade for the port of Bermagui. A new wharf location and co-op facility in the port of Bermagui was inevitable for the progress for the highly demanded Bermagui wholesale seafood industry.
Visionary Leadership
Our Board of Directors & Securing the Co-Op's Future
The Board of Directors, known for their strategic vision and resilience, faced one of their first major challenges during the lease renewal in 2005. They had to prove financial sustainability, despite the government restructuring of fisheries, the Board successfully gained the Onshore Business Development Assistance grant. Which, along with financial support from local fishing families, secured the Co-Op’s future.
Their efforts paid off with a $1.2 million grant in 2007 to build a new Co-Op and Retail complex. Architect Philip Cox and Rankin Builders brought the project to life, completed in 2009 at a cost of $3.97 million. The balance of funds were secured thanks to the following people:
Frank and Joy Puglisi, Antonio and Carmelo Lavalle, Rocco and Jane Lagana, Brent and Susan Lockton, Matthew and Jeanette Creek, Allan Broadhurst, John and Sian Hine.
The results of the funding speak for themselves, with our stunning modern precinct, featuring a northern facing marina entrance and local Spotted Gum columns on the wharf building.
Today's Northern Facing Complex, proudly supporting local industry, sustainability and traditonal owners.
Today
Today, under the leadership of Managing Director, Rocco Lagana and the Board of Directors, the Bermagui Fishermen’s Co-operative is renowned for sustainability and diversity, famous for its pelagic catches.
Supplying markets in Sydney, Melbourne, and wholesale to international markets.
Bermagui’s port remains a gateway to a rich ocean, the continental shelf, and the reefs by Barunguba (Montague Island), which are teeming with species like the famous Marlin varieties, Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, as well as Albacore, Flathead, Ling, Snapper, Bream, and many more desirable table species.
Image copyright of @trapmanbermagui
The legacy of the Bermagui Fishermen’s Co-Operative lives on, honouring both the Yuin people's heritage and the innovative spirit of its modern-day champions such as the contributions from the Puglisi (left) and Lavalle (right) families which have been major suppliers of the Bermagui Fishermen’s Co-Operative for over 60 years.
Our hero’s feature permanently in the Wharf precinct with our locally crafted Cypress and Macrocarpa timber statues. Crafted by renowned Chainsaw Sculptor, John Brady.
With its unspoiled coastline, acclaimed cultural events, local art and produce, Bermagui is now a popular tourist destination at the heart of the South Coast, blending a rich history with vibrant contemporary life.
For more information about history of the region, see the
BERMAGUI HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM
Phone: (02) 6493 4722
9 Bunga St, Bermagui NSW 2546
Australia