History of the Maryborough Sugar Mill

The Maryborough Sun is collating the history of the Maryborough Sugar Factory following the announcement of the closure of the historic landmark. Share your stories and photos about the mill by emailing editorial@marysun.com.au

JAY FIELDING

THE impending closure of the Maryborough Sugar Factory represents the end of an era for the city, although cane will continue to be grown locally.

The mill, an industrial landmark in lower Kent Street, traces its origins back to the 1800s.

After a shaky start, it would be a mainstay of the city’s industrial landscape until this year when owner Mitr Phol announced cane had been crushed there for the final time.

1859 – The seeds of the Wide Bay’s greatest agricultural crop, sugar cane, are literally and figuratively sown by Maryborough pioneer Edgar Aldridge, who plans a small patch of cane as an experiment. Three stalks sent to Sydney for testing provided promising results, as well as being the first successful attempt to grow the crop in Australia

since the arrival of the First Fleet. The fateful decision was made to build a sugar cane industry in Maryborough.

1864 – The industry fails to gain a foothold until John Buhot, from Barbados, travels to Maryborough to buy 10,000 sets after hearing of Aldridge’s success. He gives a lecture on sugar growing and refining to a large audience at the School of Arts. Buhot also offers a 500-pound investment

for a commercial sugar plantation in Maryborough.

1865 – Local landholders including Henry Palmer and John Eaton form the Maryborough Sugar Company in 1865. Eaton would go on to build the Eatonvale sugar plantation and home at Tinana.

1866 – Maryborough’s first sugar mill, Central Sugar Mill, is built on the banks of the Mary River at Yengarie. It begins

One of the oldest known photos of the mill. Photo: Drew Schmidt

crushing the following year. Soon more than 30 juice mills, supplied by more than 300 growers, open. It along with the nearby Yengarie Sugar Refinery dominate the industry until the turn of the century, their decline beginning with the 1893 flood.

1894 – The Maryborough Sugar Factory Company is registered, on April 13.

Initially it finds itself in difficulty, with constant setbacks, but pushes on.

1896 – Maryborough Sugar Factory begins operations.

1897 – The Maryborough Sugar Factory Company almost collapses, owing more than 7500 pounds of debt, until it is bought by private investors. The Maryborough Chronicle refers to the company

has “luckless”. Private ownership would continue for decades.

1899 – The Yengarie Sugar Refinery closes, with Maryborough Sugar Factory now in place as the dominant player in the local industry.

1921 – The Maryborough Sugar Factory experiments with growing cane on Turkey Island at the mouth of the Mary River and offers to help growers who want to farm it.

1945 – Fire almost destroys the factory late in the crushing season. It is rebuilt in time for the following year’s crush.

1971 – Maryborough Sugar Factory is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on August 24. Its company code is MSF.

2008 – Following the deregulation of the sugar industry two years earlier, MSF successfully takes over Mulgrave Mill in North Queensland.

Deregulation becomes a catalyst for mergers and takeovers in the industry as mills begin positioning themselves for survival.

2010 – MSF and Bundaberg Sugar combine their North Queensland mills in a joint venture. Thai sugar giant Mitr Phol buys a 19 per cent stake in MSF.

2011 – MSF buys out Bundaberg Sugar’s 50 per cent stake in its joint venture, giving it full ownership of four mills.

MSF shares are placed in a trading halt on November 7 when Mitr Phol announces its takeover bid.

It offered $4.45 a share, a 31 per cent premium on the final closing price of $3.40. The directors recommended shareholders accept the offer.

2012 – Mitr Phol completes its takeover of MSF, by then Australia’s third largest miller. Its offer totalled $313 million, paying $4.45 a share.

2015 – MSF lodges a development application for its Mary Harbour development with Fraser Coast Regional Council. The plan includes 1300 homes, businesses and a marina on the Mary River at Granville.

2018 – MSF opens a biomass power station adjacent to Tableland Mill, Australia’s most modern having opened in 1998.

2020 – Rural Funds Management buys 5000 hectares of land from MSF. It plans to begin transitioning the land, which had been leased to growers, to macadamia cultivation.

Mitr Phol informs its 90 growers in the Maryborough and Sunshine Coast regions that the 2020 crush will be the last one at Maryborough Sugar Factory.

Cane will now be sent to Isis Central Sugar Mill for crushing for at least two years until grower contracts expire.

Sugar waiting at Urangan Pier to for export. Photo: Hervey Bay Museum

Three generations of Braddock men. Thomas Braddock (1836 1920) was one of the four founding partners in John Walker & Co but was also knowledgeable about mill machinery and provided invaluable advice to the new Maryborough Sugar Factory. Thomas Braddock