The History of Forster-Tuncurry: What the Tides Are Really Telling Us

seaformstudio
Feb 14
2 min read

The Emu's Perspective

When I’m out on a trek, eyes locked on the shoreline of a hidden Forster beach, I’m not just looking for "pretty glass." I’m looking for fragments of a story. People often ask me where sea glass comes from, and the truth is, the Forster-Tuncurry coast is a giant, salt-soaked history book.

Every piece of "cooked" glass in our studio has a past life. Here is what you’re actually holding when you wear a piece of Seaform jewellery.

1. The Ghost of Shipping Past (The 1800s)

Long before the bridge connected our twin towns, the Wallis Lake entrance was a highway for timber ships and steamers. Many of the thick, dark shards we find, especially that rare "Black Glass", started as heavy ale or wine bottles used as ballast on ships in the 19th century. If you hold a piece of our deep olive glass up to the Forster sun and it glows, you’re likely looking at a relic from a 150-year-old shipwreck or a sailor’s discarded bottle.

2. Local Fizz: The Cordial Connection

Ever found a piece of "Aqua" or "Soft Blue" glass near the breakwall? These are some of my favorite finds. In the early 1900s, regional NSW was home to independent cordial makers and aerated water manufacturers. Those soft blues often come from vintage Codd-neck bottles (the ones with the glass marble inside). They were built thick to handle the carbonation, which is why they survive so well in our rough Pacific surf today.

3. The "Tally" Tradition

That rich, frosted amber glass we find in abundance? That’s the "DNA" of Aussie coastal life. From the 1930s through the 60s, "tallies" were the gold standard. Before the days of modern recycling, many of these ended up in the dunes or tossed from boats. The ocean has spent the last 60 years sandblasting that amber into the smooth, glowing gems we forage today.

4. From Fire to Frost: Bonfire Glass

Although I'm yet to find one, these are described as a piece that isn't a shard, but a smooth, melted blob. This is Bonfire Glass. It’s the result of old-school beach fires melting bottles into the sand decades ago. The tide then takes that molten lump and spends half a century rounding it off. It’s the ultimate collaboration between man, fire, and the sea.

Wear the History

At Seaform Studio, we don't just "make jewellery." We preserve these local echoes. When you wear a pair of our Mid-Tide hoops or a Deep Sea pendant, you’re carrying a piece of Forster’s maritime soul that the Pacific has been "cooking" just for you. Ready to wear a piece of Forster's history? Shop the latest 'Just Surfaced' arrivals.