Narooma Rocks Board 2025: Lindsay Brown (Company Secretary), Oliver Batten, Jenny Barrett, David Maidment, Tim Gilbo, Mark Upton, Rob Lloyd and David Campbell. Absent: Incoming Chair Mark Condi and Brendan Matters.
Narooma Rocks, the community owned company that delivers the award winning Narooma Oyster Festival, has announced Mark Condi as its new Board Chair and five new Directors following the retirement of the inaugural Narooma Rocks Board Chair, Cath Peachey.
After more than 13 years of extraordinary volunteer service to the Festival, including six at the helm of Narooma Rocks, Cath’s passion for her community, the oyster industry, and the Narooma Oyster Festival is unparalleled, shaping a small not-for-profit community event into an internationally recognised iconic celebration of Australia’s rock oyster.
Widely known for her ability to “Peachey” people into rolling up their sleeves too, Cath drew many supporters into the Festival’s orbit from oyster farmers, celebrated chefs and producers, volunteers, judges, suppliers, board members and the small team at Narooma Rocks.
Long standing Director, Michael Gardner has also retired from the Board. A much loved Narooma local who has supported the festival for 16 years, his leadership in the operational delivery of the festival made him a critical part of the team.
Incoming Chair Mark Condi, CEO of hospitality group Duxton Pubs, has been a Director since July 2024. With a life-long connection to Narooma, Mark’s 30 years of leadership in hospitality, tourism, and community venues, and a strong track record in delivering meaningful visitor experiences, will be crucial to Narooma Rocks delivering their 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The Plan provides a bold roadmap for deeper industry collaboration, expanded visitor offerings, and sustainable growth.
With the addition of five new volunteer Directors, the now 10-strong Board brings a depth of experience across tourism, hospitality, business development, governance, events and community engagement – backed by strong regional and national networks.
“It has been such a privilege to contribute to the success of the festival and see it grow into a world-class event, retaining all its grassroots charm and authenticity. It has quadrupled in size and scale since its early days bringing so many visitors to our town and region that might not otherwise have come. It has been incredibly satisfying to watch the positive change and real benefits for our community over the years as visitation patterns have shifted dramatically,” Cath said.
“Many people have contributed to the success of the Narooma Oyster Festival over its 18 years. I have been fortunate to meet and work with such inspiring people, most of whom give their time, experience and in some cases their media brand for free. A big thank you to the incredible oyster farmers, producers, chefs, sponsors, stallholders, suppliers and media that continue to support this great volunteer-led organisation. Special thanks to our small management team, and my volunteer Board colleagues who set the organisation’s direction and carry the risk of staging the event from one year to the next. Narooma Rocks is in very good hands with Mark Condi at the helm, and the skills and experience of the Board will help the organisation to achieve its bold agenda,” Cath said.
Narooma Rocks is focused on creating a long-term, distinctive competitive advantage for the region, including plans to establish a year-round Rock Oyster Visitor Experience and Tasting Room, mobile masterclasses and merroir-based experiences that tell the story of the Rock Oyster.
“Cath’s visionary leadership has shaped the Narooma Oyster Festival into an internationally recognised event and a driving force for regional growth,” Mark said.
“Her passion and belief in the power of food, place and people has elevated the Rock Oyster, helping to ensure its rightful place as an iconic native food and part of the economy – and helped put Narooma and Eurobodalla firmly on the map as a must-visit destination. The Narooma Rocks Board has developed a plan to build on the festival with initiatives that provide a reason to visit the NSW South Coast all year round. It’s a big task ahead but we are excited about the new direction,” he said.
Narooma Rocks will continue to invest in its flagship event – the world-class Narooma Oyster Festival – with dates set for its 19th event on May 1-3, 2026. The Festival’s popular prelude, Rock Oyster Week, will return for its third year, one of several initiatives Narooma Rocks is developing to strengthen the region’s appeal and competitive edge.
New Board Members:
Brendan Matters (Narooma) – CEO of Club Narooma, with operational, infrastructure and governance experience, strong local business ties, and hands-on Festival knowledge.
David Campbell (Berry) – David brings expertise in hospitality operations, regional culinary storytelling and has a long-standing connection to the Festival as both a chef in the cooking demonstrations and caterer. He also sits on the board of Destination Sydney Surrounds South and is a judge for the NSW Tourism Awards.
Rob Lloyd (Berriedale/Dalmeny) – Chair of Tourism Snowy Mountains and former senior executive with Vail Resorts and Amer Sports, specialising in brand, growth and destination marketing, particularly in year-round adventure tourism, luxury accommodation and fine dining.
Oliver Batten (Narooma) – A tourism and events professional with local government and not-for-profit experience, community engagement strengths, and a focus on Indigenous tourism. Currently Destination Strategy & Impact Lead at Destination Store.
Mark Upton (Wollongong) – Director of Mark Ashley Group and Board Member of Destination Wollongong, with expertise in tourism, major events, and commercial partnerships.
They join current board members Lindsay Brown (Company Secretary), Jenny Barrett, Tim Gilbo and David Maidment.
