Leonard Nye, Symalene Nye’s son, grew up in the Mogo / Barlings Beach area. The family camped on the beach if there were a lot of fish around, taking out a rowing boat and nets to catch the fish. He recalls his father catching fish at midnight on low tide, trapping the fish in a hole on the ocean floor.

Leonard Nye, as well as his father and paternal grandfather used the high points in the sand dunes at Barlings Beach when searching for fish. A platform raised on a pole was once located at this high point to allow fisherman to watch for the fish swimming into the bay. The job of the lookout keeper was to hand signal those in a boat in the bay, informing them of which direction the fish are and where they are travelling. Old people taught Leonard Nye the sign language.

Amidst the sand dunes at Barlings Beach, Leonard recalls collecting prickly pear, bush cherry, blackberries, red gooseberries, pig face for a snack, and chewing on Casuarina seeds to quench his thirst. Leonard recalls burning the grassland throughout the area in order to attract rabbits to the new growth.

Leonard continues to live in Mogo with his extended family.

Excerpt from Stories About the Eurobodalla by Aboriginal People, 2006. Story contributed by Martin Ind from Moruya High School.