Bundaberg Rum Distillery

Bundaberg sits in sugar cane country, and the distillery was established in 1888 by local mill owners looking for something to do with the molasses left over from sugar production. The rum it makes has become a national brand with a polar bear on the label, and the site is open for guided tours through the working distillery, taking in the molasses wells, the vats, the barrel hall and a museum, ending with tastings. Fire destroyed parts of the plant twice, in 1907 and 1936, and the 1930s buildings that replaced them are heritage-listed. Phones and cameras are not permitted in production areas because of alcohol vapour, which surprises most visitors.

History

The local sugar mills had no good use for the molasses left after the sugar was extracted, and at a meeting at the Royal Hotel on 1 August 1885, chaired by W. M. C. Hickson, the big mill owners of the district became the first directors of a distilling company with a capital of £5,000. The Bundaberg Distilling Company began operating in 1888 and made its first rum in 1889; fires stopped production from 1907 to 1914 and from 1936 to 1939, the second sending rum into the Burnett River and killing many fish, and in 1961 the company adopted the polar bear as its emblem (Wikipedia, Bundaberg Rum).

Highlights

• The molasses wells - the raw material arriving from the surrounding mills.
• The vats and barrel hall - fermentation and the maturing warehouse.
• The museum - the distillery's history, fires and rebuilding.
• The tastings - sampling at the end of the tour.

When to go

April to October for comfortable weather; the distillery works year-round and tours run daily to a timetable. Crushing season for the cane runs roughly June to November, when the mills are active around the district. Booking ahead is advisable in holidays.

What to expect

Phones, cameras and lighters are locked away before entering production areas, and this is strictly enforced. Tours are timed and last around ninety minutes. Closed shoes are required. Under-18s can tour but not taste.

Nearby

Mon Repos turtle beach is east near Bargara; the southern reef islands lie offshore.

Key facts