Bermagui Historical Society

17/05/2026

There were fond words and heartfelt thanks at the farewell this afternoon for Bermagui stalwarts Wendy and Allan Douch, who are heading north to Queensland. Family, friends and community representatives spoke warmly of the couple for their rich and varied contributions to the life of the local community over many decades – not least during the Black Summer fires. They will be sorely missed!

Cuttagee-born Allan served as President of the Bermagui Historical Society after a lifetime in forestry, with Wendy by his side as Secretary.

Earlier this week Dr Michael Holland read a Community Recognition Statement about Allan and Wendy in the NSW Parliament – see comments for details.

20/04/2026

UPDATE: DEFERRED TO WEDNESDAY MORNING, 9.20am Tune in to ABC local radio - we’ll be discussing the history of the war memorial on the Bermagui headland, venue for annual ANZAC Day Dawn Services. Thanks to ABC Radio for its regular support for local Historical Societies!

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20/04/2026

Tune in to ABC local radio Tuesday morning 9.15am - we’ll be discussing the war memorial on the Bermagui headland, venue for annual ANZAC Day Dawn Services. Thanks to ABC Radio for its regular support for local Historical Societies!

13/03/2026

Next time you’re up in Moruya, this exhibition looks great! Congrats to the local historical society

https://blog.mdhs.org.au/2025/10/17/raise-a-glass-to-moruyas-pubs/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQgjb9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEexHGXp364e5reyAD3nvsSH15MOT9DKfvJI5VvgTH3bT_XL4fdqQ50NW3XveQ_aem_0Ds8eEAG73en-WsOLzMlYQ

This exhibition celebrates the town’s four surviving pubs while also recalling the many that have come and gone across the district — some of which still stand today.

12/03/2026

Attention all members (and would-be members): a General Meeting of the Society will be held on Tuesday 24 March, 2.30-4.30pm, at the Bermagui Country Club. Please come and help us build our History.

21/12/2025

Out now! Our fabulous 2026 calendar is on sale now, featuring another great series of historical photos of bygone days in Bermagui. Here's the front and back covers to tease your interest. The calendar is available in the Bermagui Visitor Information Centre for $20 - all sale proceeds go to help us keep the Museum doors open.

26/10/2025

Our amazing Visitors' Book is written up on the front page of the latest Recollections magazine. Pick up a hardcopy from the Bermi library or our Museum, or download it from:
https://www.southcoasthistory.org.au/assets/recollections-issue-54-website.pdf

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23/10/2025

Such a pleasure to meet Zane Grey author Vicki Hastrich - and to show her our Zane Grey autograph!
Vicki is the absolute full bottle on Zane Grey, having just released her bio of the famed American who put Bermi on the map in the 1930s. She was interviewed last weekend at the Tathra Headland Writers Festival by local fisho Mike Kermode. I had the pleasure of showing her the autographs by ZG and his entourage in our Visitors Book which date from 26 February 1936.

01/10/2025

Margaret Preston visited Bermagui in Easter 1955, and she and her husband signed the Visitors' Book now in the collection of the Bermagui Historical Society. They found “nice friendly people. Beautiful countryside with lots of walks and plenty of facilities. Good fishing. Most enjoyable holiday.” But no artist ever really goes on holiday - she was obviously collecting ideas for future printmaking!

Margaret Preston - Casting the net Bermagui 1957. Woodcut, printed in black ink, from one block. National Gallery of Australia 79.2593

21/09/2025

Reunited at last! For the first time in more than eighty years, our sundial has been reunited with its 1930s granite memorial on the foreshore. This morning, we carried the engraved metal sundial from its display case in the museum down to the foreshore, and placed it atop the O’Shea memorial above Horseshoe Bay. It’s a perfect fit!

The sundial has been in the museum collection for many years, but its back story has only just come to light. Our research suggests it was originally part of the memorial to Bermagui publican Ken O’Shea in 1937. Sometime in the early 1940s it was reported damaged by “mischievous youths” and was removed.

The O'Shea memorial still stands, between the pub and the beach, with a magnificent view north to Gulaga. There’s no sundial – just four drill holes in the polished granite surface.

Today we showed that those holes match perfectly with those on the sundial - facing north, just like a sundial should. Now we are planning to repair the damage to the sundial so it can tell the time again!

Listen in to ABC Southeast radio on Tuesday after 9am as we discuss this fascinating object.