Food from the Sea - Boyd's Shed
The Boyd family built their shed from timber and iron in 1907 at Boyds Bay as a headquarters and a place to store the equipment used in their work, such as their nets and fish boxes. It was also the place where the men finished their day’s work, planned for the next day and had a drink before going home. It became a popular social centre at night and on Sunday mornings, and was a place where all sorts of people were welcomed to swap stories and have a drink. Even after the Boyd’s last catch at Dodd’s Point in 1969 the boatshed remained a social centre for many years where meetings, dances and family reunions were held. The boatshed was conserved and moved to Pioneer Park in West Tweed Heads in 1996.
The once booming fishing industry in the Tweed began to dwindle around the middle of the 20th century as fish stocks were eventually depleted by factors such as overfishing, marine pollution, coastal development and the drainage of wetlands where many fish and shellfish spawn (deposit their eggs). Today fishing crews in the region find it harder and harder to make a living and the focus has shifted from wild fisheries to aquaculture, or fish farming.
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Gary's Story
“They took truckloads of mussels from there. When our Aunties and Uncles lived there in the old days, the whole Fingal community might take a few sugar bags a week, enough to eat, and now there’s not one left there. All the top of Kerosene Bay was just full of mussels.”
Gary Chadburn, 2003
Tweed River Regional Museum Research Collection.
Did you know?
The development of the dairy industry in the Tweed also helped to establish and expand the fishing industry. This was because the new butter factories had refrigeration and ice-making machines which meant that freshly caught fish could be stored and also packed in ice in wooden crates and transported to places like Brisbane.
Try This
Look at the object in the photo. What do you think it is?
A needle for making fishing nets
An incense stick holder
A paddle
Incorrect. This is actually a wooden needle used for making or repairing fishing nets.
More information: Fishing nets are easily torn and repairing them is much more economical than buying a whole new net. Making and repairing fishing nets by hand requires a lot of skill as well as knowledge of how to make knots, such as the clove hitch, and how to use netting needles like this one.
Correct! This is a wooden needle used for making or repairing fishing nets.
More information: Fishing nets are easily torn and repairing them is much more economical than buying a whole new net. Making and repairing fishing nets by hand requires a lot of skill as well as knowledge of how to make knots, such as the clove hitch, and how to use netting needles like this one.
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