CSR Refinery, Yarraville facts for kids

CSR Yarraville is a busy sugar factory located in Yarraville, Australia. It has been making sugar since 1872! This important place is also known as the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Refinery. It was officially recognized as a special historical site in 1992.

History of Sugar Refining

The Yarraville sugar factory started in 1873. A company called Joshua Brothers built it. In 1875, a bigger company, the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR), bought it. CSR began in Sydney in 1855. It grew to become a very important company for making sugar in Australia and the South Pacific.

Sugar Cane in Queensland

People tried growing sugar cane in Queensland before it became a separate colony. Captain Louis Hope had great success in the 1860s. This encouraged the government to support sugar cane farming. Large farms, called plantations, started in areas like Cleveland and Beenleigh. By the 1870s, new areas along the coast also began growing sugar.

Small sugar factories, called mills, opened. The Yengarie sugar mill started in 1873. The Millaquin refinery opened in Bundaberg in 1882. By 1874, Queensland was selling sugar to other Australian colonies. In the 1880s, sugar cane grew even further north.

CSR's Growth and Refineries

The Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) became very important. They bought large areas of land to grow sugar in the Mackay district. CSR also built three big mills in North Queensland.

To serve Australia's growing cities, CSR built many refineries. These factories were located in capital cities by the late 1800s. They included Melbourne (Yarraville, bought around 1875) and Sydney (Pyrmont, 1878). The Pyrmont refinery became the largest in Australia. Other refineries were in Adelaide (Glanville, 1891) and Brisbane. A refinery in Perth was added in 1930.

These separate factories were needed because sugar could get dirty during long sea trips. Having local refineries helped CSR sell refined sugar. CSR also had a strong hold on the sugar market. They did this by adding taxes on sugar products from other colonies. This helped them compete in the market for refined sugar.

Sugar Becomes a Staple Food

In the mid-1800s, new technology changed how sugar was made. Sugar went from being a luxury item to an everyday food. People in Western countries started eating much more sugar.

The Colonial Sugar Refining Company built many factories in Australia and New Zealand. The Melbourne site was the first to be developed. It took over the Joshua Brothers Company refinery from 1873. This refinery was built to compete with the Victoria Sugar Company. The Victoria Sugar Company's refinery burned down in 1875. So, CSR took over the Joshua Brothers' Yarraville site. CSR became the main sugar refiner in the South Pacific. This continued into the 20th century.

What the Refinery Looks Like

The CSR Sugar Refinery Complex has buildings from different times. Some are from the 1870s, 1900s, and 1910s. The original main building, called the pan house, is five stories tall. It is made of bluestone and brick. It faces the sugar wharf on the Maribyrnong River.

Other important buildings include:

• The former Packing Station: This building was constructed around 1913. It is now used as a drier station.
• The Cistern House and Char Ends: These were built from the 1870s to the 1930s. They use a special metal frame.
• The Pan House: This was the first refinery building. It was designed by Thomas Watt in 1872–73.
• The Retail Packing Station: Built around 1880, it has a unique timber frame.
• The former Melting House: Built in 1902, it has a metal frame inside.
• The Golden Syrup and Treacle Packing Store: This building from the 1880s has metal columns and wooden beams. It once held a special machine for filling Golden Syrup containers.
• The Power House: This building had gas engines and generators to create electricity.