Central Sugar Mill Ruins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Central Sugar Mill Ruins |
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Central Sugar Mill Ruins
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| Location | Old Mill Road, Yengarie, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1840s - 1860s (mid-19th century) |
| Built | 1866 - 1890s |
| Official name: Central Sugar Mill Ruins | |
| Type | state heritage (built, archaeological) |
| Designated | 5 December 2005 |
| Reference no. | 602488 |
| Significant period | 1860s (fabric) 1860s-1890s (historical use) |
| Significant components | trees/plantings, objects (movable) - manufacturing/processing, chimney/chimney stack, tank - storage, wall/s, embankment - tramway, slag pile/slag heap |
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The Central Sugar Mill Ruins are the remains of an old sugar mill in Yengarie, Australia. They are located on Old Mill Road, in the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland. This mill was built between 1866 and the 1890s. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 December 2005 because of its historical importance.
The ruins sit overlooking the Mary River. They show us what's left of a big industrial site. This place was built in 1866 to process sugarcane and refine sugar. It served many sugar farms in the area before it closed down in the late 1890s.
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History of Sugar in Queensland
Did you know that sugar cane first came to Australia in 1788? Early attempts to grow it in places like Sydney didn't work out well for business. But in 1862, Captain Louis Hope successfully grew a cane crop in Queensland.
By 1864, the first commercial sugar mill in Australia was set up by him at Ormiston. Soon, growing sugar cane became very popular. By the end of the 1860s, cane was being grown further north in places like Maryborough, Mackay, and Bundaberg. The warmer weather there was perfect for sugar cane.
In 1862, John Buhot, who was from Barbados, showed that sugar could be made from cane grown in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. This proved sugar could be a successful crop in Queensland. Many farmers wanted to grow cane, but they didn't know much about it.
In 1864, Buhot visited Maryborough to buy cane plants. While there, he gave a talk about how to grow sugar cane and make sugar. He even tried making sugar from some local cane, and it looked promising!
Building the Central Sugar Mill
In 1865, some local people formed the Maryborough Sugar Company. They bought land to start a sugar farm and mill. Soon, other local businessmen, Frederick Gladwell and Robert Greathead, decided to build a "central mill." This kind of mill would process cane from many different farms nearby.
They hired John Buhot to design the mill and help make the sugar. In 1866, they started building. Bricks were made, local stone was used for flooring, and machinery came from Sydney. Wharves were built on the riverbank below the mill. These wharves were used for boats carrying sugar cane and other goods. A special cutting was made in the riverbank for a rail line. This line used a rope and windlass system to move goods up and down the hill.
Early Challenges and Changes
Building the mill was a big step for everyone involved. But it wasn't easy! In October 1866, an accident damaged the machinery, delaying the start of sugar production until February 1867. The sugar they made was dark and didn't have much sugar content. The mill faced problems because it was small, the equipment was simple, and people were still learning.
Even though they started making good sugar by September 1867, more problems came up. There was an explosion, and then many workers left because gold was discovered in Gympie. By November, the mill had to close because of money troubles.
The mill was sold to John Meiklejohn. He made the mill bigger and added more modern equipment. He even installed a still to make rum, which started in July 1868. His first year produced good sugar and a lot of rum!
In 1869/1870, William Gibson bought the Central Mill. He ran it until the mid-1880s. However, by 1877, the Central Mill was only crushing cane to make juice. This juice was then sent to the nearby Yengarie Refinery. That refinery was much bigger and made high-quality white sugar.
The Mill's Decline and Legacy
The 1890s brought tough times for the sugar industry. Sugar prices dropped, and there were big changes in how sugar was produced. Many plantations and mills closed down. By 1892, much of the land along the Mary River was no longer growing sugar cane.
A major flood in 1893 badly damaged farms and the Central Mill. The Yengarie Refinery closed in 1899. The Kersnovske family then took over the Central Mill property. They continued to grow sugar cane and later turned the property into a dairy farm. Today, the land is used for grazing beef cattle.
Over time, the Central Mill structures slowly fell apart. What we see today are the remains of one chimney and the base of another. There are also parts of old structures, vats (large tanks), and a dam.
What You Can See at the Ruins
The Central Mill ruins are about 11 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of Maryborough, right on the banks of the Mary River. Here are some of the main things you can still see:
- Two large fig trees: These trees are about 6.3 meters (20 feet) apart. They were planted at the entrance to the mill site.
- Holding tank: This is a brick-lined tank, about 4.7 meters (15 feet) wide.
- Mill chimneystack: This is a square chimney made of red bricks. It has arched openings at the bottom and stone foundations.
- Stone mill flooring: You can see a section of the stone floor from the mill.
- Underground metal storage tank: This tank is now filled with rubble.
- Rectangular metal juice tank: This tank is about 1.17 by 2.47 meters (3.8 by 8.1 feet). It's made of riveted iron plates and sits in front of a stone wall.
- Lime slagheap: This pile of waste material is about 6.3 meters (20 feet) wide. Nearby, there are remains of a stone base, possibly from a small chimney or furnace. You can also find old metal items like rings and pipes here.
- Tramway cutting: This is a cut in the riverbank where a tramway once ran. It's now covered by plants.
Why These Ruins Are Important
The Central Sugar Mill Ruins are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because they are very important to Queensland's history.
- Showing Queensland's History: These ruins show us how the sugar industry grew in Queensland. The sugar industry was very important for the economy and for how European settlements developed. The Yengarie area was one of the first places in Queensland to have sugar farms and mills. The Central Mill was one of the first places in Maryborough to make sugar. It processed cane from many small farms, which was a sign of how important central mills would become later on.
- Rare and Unique: The Central Plantation Sugar Mill ruins are rare because they are an early example of a sugar mill, refinery, and distillery in Queensland.
- Learning from the Past: The ruins of the Central Plantation Sugar Mill can help us learn even more about how the sugar industry worked in Queensland in the 1800s.
- Typical Features: The remains include typical parts of a sugar mill and refinery. These include chimneys, underground tanks, parts of a cane tramway, and a dam. They help us understand the different steps involved in making sugar back then.
