Since the middle of the 19th Century a mysterious shipwreck located somewhere within Stradbroke Island's vast and impenetrable Eighteen Mile Swamp, in the South East corner of Queensland, has been the focus of much speculation and controversy.

Still the wave built without breaking, the Andorinha’s keel riding its crest. Majestically she raced shoreward, carried by the wave’s immense power. She must have been riding twenty feet above the ground when the wave crossed the shoreline and, although it was now breaking, the ship’s forward momentum continued. Her hull scraped over the low dunes, coming to rest in the shallow waters of a swamp. A two-year journey … a lifetime of preparation … a disaster of unmitigated proportion; caused by forces beyond Hosea’s control. How could he now complete the voyage for his king and country? What of the men whose faith in his leadership had remained firm in spite of earlier difficulties they had encountered? This a story about the Age of Discovery. A time that has had its history re-written as more discoveries have unlocked the truth about the first Europeans in Australia. Could this be another time?

Originial edition has subtitle: extraordinary stories of survival and tragedy from the early voyages of discovery to Australia.

Collected throughout the last decade of the twentieth century, these reminiscences of ‘Moreton Bay People’ provide a unique insight into the lifestyle of the Moreton Bay area during a particular time frame of history – the twentieth century. Never again will we see a lazaret for lepers at Peel Island, a prison at St Helena, or a whaling station at Tangalooma. Hopefully, too, ‘The Bay’ will never experience another World War with its influx of foreign servicemen, or another Great Depression and its causalities seeking refuge in the bay’s islands. Between 1990 and 2000, author, Peter Ludlow, interviewed over eighty of the bay’s ‘personalities’ and then published their stories in a series of volumes entitled ‘Moreton Bay People’. Here, for the first time, they are all brought together in a single volume: “Moreton Bay People – The Complete Collection”. With its enhanced images, full indexation, and some more previously unpublished ‘gems’ this completely re-edited edition will prove essential reading to anyone – be they reference librarians of ‘boaties’ – with an interest in Moreton Bay and its people.

Judith grew up with family on the islands and Brisbane. Adult life took her around the world to experience living in Lae, New Guinea, Manila capital of the Philippines, Jakarta capital of Indonesia, and in the United Kingdom for six months. Retirement has brought her back to her islands enabling this memento of history to be recorded.

Australia's master storyteller Graham Seal brings to life the enigmas and puzzles behind famous unsolved crimes, long-held secrets, buried loot and strange phenomena from the bush and the city. Australia has always been a land of mysteries. Some are ancient, some are historical, and many continue to perplex us today - and will probably continue to do so tomorrow. More often than most of us would like to think, things simply vanish, and people disappear without explanation, leaving a trail of heartbreak across generations. Australia also has its fair share of buried loot and fabulous riches gone missing - somewhere. Master storyteller Graham Seal has gathered mysteries from around Australia. There are riddles of lost explorers, unexplained phenomena, and yarns of fish, frogs or pebbles falling from the sky. There are unsolved crimes and long-held secrets; hidden tunnels and wartime enigmas; and hair-raising tales from the bush and from the city. 'Graham Seal brings to life stories of missing treasures, shipwrecks, First Nation legends, mysterious happenings and the occasional murder... I had often wondered what happened to Cook's vessel the Endeavour, Ned Kelly's skull and The Pyjama Girl's murderer. Graham's book answers most of these queries but, as with any good mystery, raises further questions and makes you think.' - Rob Willis OAM, National Library of Australia Oral History and Folklore Collections