Macleay
Postcode: 4184
One of the Bay Islands cocooned in the calm waters of Redland Bay in the lee of North Stradbroke Island, Macleay is connected to the mainland by ferries, barges and water taxis which operate from Redland Bay.
Famed for its greenery, swimming beaches, fish stocks and succulent mudcrabs, the island took its original name from Tim O’Shea, a convict who lived alone on the island for 14 years. It was later renamed in honour of Alexander Macleay, who was the NSW Colonial Secretary from 1825 to 1837.
The most populous of the Bay Islands Group, Macleay is part of the Redland Shire which conserves one of the largest concentration of mangroves in the greater Brisbane area. The Macleay Island coastline includes significant stands of grey, red, orange, yellow and river mangroves.
The island is central to one of the great, protected aquatic and boating playgrounds on Australia’s east coast. The waterway extends from the Broadwater on the Gold Coast to Moreton Bay and Brisbane.