Fishy Stories from Moreton Bay

Barbara Reif grew up in a family with a long tradition of fishing and boating. Five generations have lived in Brisbane and fished the waters of Moreton Bay since 1883. Little wonder then, that her father built a boat and took the family fishing and exploring the islands of the Bay.

Life in the 1950s was relatively care free, apart from an almost universal lack of money. Although Barbara's parents knew the value of hard work and enterprise, they never had a lucky break in the fishing business. Sand crabs fetched nine pence each, but the catch was not big enough to pay for the ice and petrol used for the fishing trip. A sense of humour and intense love of fishing carried the family through tough times. Barbara, from a very early age, was no stranger to the demanding lifestyle which fishing imposed and it bred a rough exterior on this gentle nature loving girl. For Barbara and her brother it was the best training ground for life.

There were so many experiences which they both would never forget - the beauty of a full moon rising over the mirror calm waters of the Bay; the thrill of catching big fish; the ever present danger from sharks; the awesome power of waves and wind; the entertainment provided by marine creatures; and above all, the close comradeship bound by a love of Moreton Bay.

The fragile nature of the marine environment of the Bay was clearly appreciated by Barbara and her family as they fished and fossicked around the islands. A strong thread of conservation is woven into the fabric of the book. She remembers the dilemma and lack of resolution to the conflict between harvesting nature's bounty and its preservation for the future.

Somehow, in a household kept busy by fishing trips and a catering business run by her mother, Barbara managed to complete her studies to university level. She remembers doing homework and essays "in a bleary eyed panic" as every Saturday night was a sleepless fishing trip. In spite of this, she won fourth prize in the Queensland Science Competition in 1961 with a project identifying the shells of Moreton Bay. From the age of fourteen she held a commercial fishing licence, only the second one issued to a woman in Queensland.

But the much desired career as a marine biologist was not to be. Fate, limited opportunities and marriage intervened. Barbara turned to her next love, books and spent thirty successful years as a librarian, always with biology smouldering in the background. Those years spent in libraries provided the perfect opportunity to read widely on scientific topics. Now retired, "a little too early" she says, Barbara found that the time was perfect to write and publish this book as a tribute to Moreton Bay and all the folk who enjoy its pleasures, past and present.

Barbara can be contacted for interview on (61+8) 9444 5883.

Topics covered in "Bay Tales" include:
Fishing and bait collecting, commercial fishing techniques, descriptions of holiday spots on Stradbroke Island, marine habitats and fauna, conservation issues, lifestyle of a fishing family.
Anyone who enjoys boating and fishing (especially on Moreton Bay), tourists, local history groups, residents of the southern bayside suburbs of Brisbane

Barbara Reif has published journal articles on library research, bird behaviour and agriculture throughout her long and varied career paths in commercial fishing, catering, entomology and librarianship. She has other books in preparation.