Heritage Ventures
Jacqui Newling: Cultural Gastronomer
Jacqui is a passionate public historian, her curatorial practice shaped by a hungry mind. She has a PhD in history and a Le Cordon Bleu Master of Gastronomy. Interrogating and interpreting history, place, and social culture through a gastronomic lens, Jacqui is a leading voice in Australian food culture and identity in settler-colonial contexts, past and present. Jacqui’s expertise and scholarship extend well beyond the kitchen, and her curatorial work is founded in a commitment to share the rich and complex history of NSW in innovative, inspiring, and meaningful ways.
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Jacqui brings insights from contemporary cultural gastronomy sharing stories from a bush kitchen, historical recipes and revealing what was on the governors table.
Max Burns-McRuvie: Historian
Max Burns-McRuvie is a Sydney historian and storyteller. Over the last 12+ years he has created and conducted historical walking tours in Sydney, Barcelona and Amsterdam. His focus has been reinterpreting the age of exploration, gaining a deeper understanding of the colonial age, animating the eccentricities of the Victorian age and digging up many juicy stories from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. He holds a masters of Museum and Heritage Studies from Sydney University.
Chris Haywood: Storyteller
Chris Haywood is an Australian actor, writer and producer with over 500 screen performances and three AFI acting awards to his name. Chris is associated with some of the biggest films and TV shows to come out of Australia since the 70s — including Newsfront, Breaker Morant and The Man from Snowy River – and more recently The Way, My Way. The Gathering Light, produced in 2026 is based on the life and work of acclaimed Hawkesbury River poet Robert Adamson. Chris is out and about on the river as Deputy Captain of VRA Hawkesbury and coxswain of their rescue boat.
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Hawkesbury River and Brooklyn based, Chris brings alive his deep association with the river, its history and ecosystem through historical yarns and anecdotes.
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'Nipper' Hawkesbury River: Fisherman
Paul Aqulina, known locally as Nipper started professional fishing when he was 14. He was a 'little nipper' compared to everyone else in the industry. At 18 he bought into the industry starting with an 6m punt and licence to catch eels. 2 years later he bought a prawn trawl licence for the Hawkesbury river. In 2019 Paul became an OceanWatch Master Fisherman and started building his business and reputation for quality and sustainability.
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Paul will talk about 'Nippers Catch' and sustainable fishing on the Hawkesbury River. The types of fish on the Lower Hawkesbury, eels, prawns, when and how to make a catch. * Nipper will join the feast if he hasn't 'gone fishing'.
Holly Brewster: Musician
Holly Brewster is a fabulous fiddle player​ who has been playing on the shores of Mangrove Creek for many years, singing songs inspired by family, nature and the stories of place. Holly is originally from the welsh border counties of the UK, where folk traditions are strong and old stories are kept alive through song. The songs she will be playing evoke some of the lesser known human stories of the River.
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Holly will entertain us with The Ballad of Elizabeth Donovan of Ironbark Creek, Murder at Greenmans Inn, and other inspiring and dramatic stories from the rich history of the river communities.
Johanna Bedowes: Chef
Johanna lives at Mangrove Creek and has a long and deep connection to this land, its history, and its people. Living on a site of gathering and connection, where local sea celery, samphire, lillypilly berries, and warrigal greens are sourced, Johanna has curated menus for large-scale gatherings, more intimate evenings on the river, as well as catering for women’s groups in the Central Desert. Passionate about the use of locally grown foods and the cultural appreciation of Indigenous foods and methods of preparation Johanna honours both tradition and local abundance. Johanna also works as a Red Earth Guide.
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At Eat Your History Johanna will be taking us on a culinary journey through seven courses inspired by the foods and places of the region - from the farmed and foraged landscape, to Mangrove and Hominy Creek and Hawkesbury River produce.
Degustation Dinner
From tasting recently shucked Oysters with finger lime to savoury damper with macadamia and sea celery pesto; from colonial curries to slow cooked 'corned' beef; from baked hominy and traditional pudding to myrtle teas and shortbread enjoy a menu curated from heritage cookbooks, historical bush kitchen recipes. We're bringing together the best from the land of the Central Coast hinterland and the waterways of the Hawkesbury River. 'Eat Your History' invites you to a long table dining experience in mid-winter, lit by candles with a fire in the courtyard. Catering for specialist diets by request.
