Babinda Sugar Mill Explained

Babinda Sugar Mill
Location:Babinda, Queensland, Australia

The Babinda Sugar Mill was a sugar mill that operated in Babinda, Queensland, Australia from 1915 to 2011. The site of the mill is owned by MSF Sugar and is located next to the Bruce Highway.[1]

History

Background

Sugar cane production became a staple crop in the Far North Queensland, making it necessary for there to be a means of refining the product. The sugar industry was the primary source of economic stability and growth in the local area and was described as being a “foundation industry” for local economics.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2017-09-16 . Old Babinda Mill site not suitable for biorefinery says sugar miller . 2024-06-17 . The Cairns Post . en.
  2. News: 1951-12-22 . REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES OF BABINDA SUGAR MILL . 2024-06-06 . Cairns Post.
  3. Web site: Babinda Central Sugar Mill Queensland Places . 2024-06-06 . www.queenslandplaces.com.au.
  4. Web site: Babinda Info Centre . Babinda .
  5. News: 2011-02-08 . Sugar mill to close in blow to cyclone town . 2024-06-06 . ABC News . en-AU.
  6. Web site: Queensland Government . Bundaberg Sugar Ltd. Babied a Sugar Mill .
  7. Web site: Healy . Samantha . 2011-02-27 . Scores jobless after sugar mill closes . 2024-06-17 . The Courier-Mail.
  8. Web site: Cassey . Brian . Grant-Taylor . Tony . 2011-02-09 . Canegrowers sour over closure of mill . 2024-06-17 . The Courier-Mail.
  9. News: Michael . Serenc . 2014-12-10 . Demolished Babinda Mill site near Cairns to undergo massive residential, commercial, tourism and light industrial redevelopment . 2024-06-06 . The Cairns Post.
  10. Web site: Babinda, Sugar Mill, ca. 193? . 2024-06-06 . Townsville City Council.
  11. Cairns Regional Council. (2019, June). Babinda Economic Development Plan. Retrieved from https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/208407/BabindaEDP.pdf

    Activities of the sugar mill were important in overall discussions about the economics of both the local area and wider economy.[2] [3] The mill closed on 23 February 2011.

    Operations

    The Babinda Sugar Mill opened on 15 September 1915[4] but some operations and building of the mill had begun in 1914.[5] The address of the Babinda Mill was on the Bruce Hwy, Babinda, Queensland.

    It was a source of food and employment for nearly a decade and important for the local area and great Australian food industry. As part of the Bundaberg Sugar Ltd reports are available from the Queensland government.[6]

    Workforce

    As of 2011, the mill employed around 60 workers, with employment numbers increased to 100 during peak crushing season. The Courier-Mail reported at the time of closure that many workers at the mill came from families with many relatives who had been employed at the mill.[7]

    Closure and legacy

    The closure of the mill in 2011 was reportedly a "huge shock to canegrowers" in the region.[8] The banana production industry in the local area replaced some of the economic activity.

    In 2014, the previous site of the mill was earmarked for a residential housing development project. The project was described as being large-scale which was predicted to generate an economic boom for the local area.[9] In 2017, it was proposed as a site for a biorefinery.

    An additional photo can be sourced from the 1930s from the Townsville library.[10]

    References

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Babinda Sugar Mill".

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