The first white visitors to Stradbroke Island were impressed with 'the strength and obvious good health' of the Kombamerri.

But by the end of the 19th century, most of the island dwellers had succumbed to introduced diseases–tuberculosis, smallpox and influenza–until only 65 people from three different tribes remained alive.

Stradbroke Island was sold via auction lease in 1859. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the placid waters between Stradbroke and the mainland were the home of the thriving Moreton Bay Oyster Company. But in 1898 a man-made disaster opened the oyster beds to the ocean and damaged the industry beyond repair.