“I remember middens around Hill 60, near Fisherman’s Beach. There were probably middens in the making here on Coomie. Whether they were ancient ones or whether they were just of my time, I don’t know. I can remember heaps of mutton fish shells and oyster shells and pippis, pippi shells. I still gather shells. I love them, I just love them. And I’ve got shells everywhere, they’re all over the house, they’re here and there, there’s shells in the bathroom, I’ve got those big clam shells for soap dishes and things, there’s another one over there on the sink. But I just love shells and I’ve got all these shell necklaces and things.”

– Aunty Barbara Nicholson, 12 March 2016

Photo of Fisherman’s Beach from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society. (P13447)