Within Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia, lie many small islands, protected by the large barrier islands of Moreton and North and South Stradbroke. Some of these small islands are inhabited, with thriving communities, while others only appear at low tide, being little more than mangroves and mud. Even so, these mud islands are vitally important for the continued health of the waters and wildlife of Moreton Bay. The village islands of Russell, Karragarra, Lamb and Macleay are known collectively as the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

In 1842, when the Moreton Bay Penal Colony was closed, Brisbane and the surrounding area were opened up to free settlement. Primary industries such as timber cutting, fishing and oyster farming flourished here and were important in the economic development of Southeast Queensland. Until the early 1970s, fruit and vegetable production and fishing supported the small Island communities. In the early years, the Islands' isolation and complete lack of facilities created a strong community spirit, one of self-help, volunteering and caring for others. Controversial subdivisions began in the late 1960s, and in 1973, the Redland Shire Council (now Redland City Council) was granted control of the Bay Islands by the State Government.

A History of the Bay Islands is a chronological record of Island events.

Joanna Hackett lives on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Her work includes The Reluctant Mariner, an autobiographical tale of a five-year world circumnavigation by yacht, The Eighth Anniversary, an historical biography, and a series of local histories, all available as eBooks. Joanna has had short stories published in Australian magazines and overseas, and has written and edited several books for the RKLM Islands Heritage Group. Her short story "I Had a Sister Josie Once" was selected for publication in the 2012 Redlitzer Anthology.