Tully Mill
| Tully Mill | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 17.93480° S, 145.92674° E |
| State | Queensland |
| Region | Northern Region |
| LGA | Cassowary Regional Council |
| Details | |
| Established | 1925 (101 years ago) |
| Owner | Cofco |
| Gauge | 610 mm (2 ft) |
| Annual Crush | 2,400,000 tonnes average |
The Tully Sugar Mill was the last of the government-built mills in Queensland. Following the Sugar Works Act of 1922, the Theodore State Government approved the construction of a mill on the banks of Banyan Creek. The site was selected by the Bureau of Central Mills, and the township of Tully (originally surveyed as Banyan) was established specifically to support the mill workers and service the facility.
The tender for construction was awarded to Walkers Ltd of Maryborough in August 1923. The mill conducted a trial crushing starting on 5 November 1925, with its first full season commencing in July 1926. It quickly proved efficient, becoming the first Australian sugar mill to crush over 200,000 tonnes of cane in a single season in 1927.
In 1930, the Tully Sugar Works Act authorised the transfer of the mill from government control to a grower-owned cooperative. The Tully Co-operative Sugar Milling Association was formed in March 1931, and the growers purchased the mill from the government later that year.
Expansion and Modernisation (1960s to 1990s)
The mill underwent its first major technical upgrade in 1963 to handle increased cane supply from the Riversdale expansion area. This expansion saw new assignments granted to soldier settlers and new farmers. By 1983, the mill celebrated its first million-tonne crush season.
In 1990, the structure of the organisation changed significantly. The cooperative was dissolved, and the entity was incorporated as an unlisted public company named Tully Sugar Limited. This change allowed for greater capital investment and modernisation of the milling train and transport infrastructure.
Recent History and Foreign Acquisition (2000s to Present)
The early 21st century brought challenges, including severe weather events. In February 2011, Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi (Category 5) crossed the coast near Mission Beach. The mill suffered significant structural damage, and the surrounding crop was devastated, with losses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars for the district.
Following the cyclone, the mill became the target of a takeover bid. In July 2011, the Chinese state-owned agribusiness COFCO (via its subsidiary Top Glory) acquired Tully Sugar Limited for approximately AUD 136 million, outbidding competitors such as Bunge and Wilmar. This ended 80 years of local grower ownership.
Under COFCO, the mill has continued to upgrade its infrastructure, including the installation of a new 18MW steam turbine generator in 2023 to export renewable power to the grid.
Location
Rollingstock
| Name | Builder | Model | Serial | Year | Current Mill | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tully 1 / Charlotte | E.M. Baldwin | DH8-PS | 6/1082.3 2.65 | 1965 | Tully Mill | Workshop shunter (2025). Carries incorrect builder's plate 6/1064-4-2-65; correct builder's number is 6/1082.3 2.65. |
| Tully 2 / Priscilla | E.M. Baldwin | DH8-PS | 6/1082.2 2.65 | 1965 | Tully Mill | Navvy duties (2025). Carries incorrect builder's plate 6/1064-3-2-65; correct builder's number is 6/1082.2 2.65. |
| Tully 3 / Coolies | E.M. Baldwin | DH8-PS | 6/1082.1 2.65 | 1965 | Out of service | Static display at mill gates. Carries incorrect builder's plate 6/1064-2-2-65; correct builder's number is 6/1082.1 2.65. |
| Tully 4 | Walkers | GH500 | 622 | 1969 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH40; rebuilt by Walkers in 1996. |
| Tully 5 | Walkers | GH500 | 650 | 1969 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH63; rebuilt by Walkers in 1993. |
| Tully 6 | Walkers | GH500 | 653 | 1970 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH66; rebuilt by Walkers in 1993. |
| Balmoral | E.M Baldwin | DH32B | 10684-1-4-83 | 1983 | Marian Mill | Was Tully 7. Swapped 2008. |
| 10 | Commonwealth Engineering | AD | AD1341 | 1960 | Tully Mill | Navvy duties. 2025. |
| Tully 11 | Commonwealth Engineering | AD | AD1347 | 1960 | Tully Mill | Paired with Tully 16. 2024 |
| Tully 12 | Commonwealth Engineering | AD | AD1351 | 1961 | Out of service | Stored out of use at Tully Mill as of August 2023. |
| Tully 14 | Commonwealth Engineering | AK | AK2663 | 1963 | Tully Mill | Navvy duties. 2025 |
| Tully 16 | Commonwealth Engineering | AH | AH4484 | 1964 | Tully Mill | Paired with Tully 11. 2024. |
| Tully 17 | Commonwealth Engineering | AH | AH52100 | 1966 | Out of service | Stored at Tully Mill (2025). |
| Tully 18 | Commonwealth Engineering | AO | AO60113 | 1977 | Tully Mill | Navvy duties. 2025 |
| No. 9 | Clyde | DHI | DHI.4 | 1954 | Out of service | Converted in 1989 to a six-wheel brake wagon using the locomotive frame; recorded stored out of use at Tully in August 2023. |
| Tully 3 | Walkers | GH500 | 643 | 1970 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH56 and Cooks Construction CC03; rebuilt by Tully in 2013. |
| Tully 7 | Walkers | GH500 | 657 | 1970 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH70; rebuilt in 1994. Ex Balberra, Racecourse Mill; transferred to Tully in 2008. |
| Tully 8 | Walkers | GH500 | 606 | 1969 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH24 and Cooks Construction CC05; rebuilt by Bundaberg Foundry in 2004. |
| Tully 9 | Walkers | GH500 | 618 | 1969 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH36 and Cooks Construction CC06; rebuilt by Tully in 2010. |
| Tully 15 | Commonwealth Engineering | AK | AK3574 | 1964 | Out of service | Stored out of use at Tully Mill as of August 2023. |
| Tully 2 | Walkers | GH500 | 586 | 1968 | Tully Mill | Ex QR DH4 and Cooks Construction CC01. Rebuilt/converted by Tully in 2024. |
| No. 8 | John Fowler | 21912 | 1936 | Out of service | Rebuilt by E.M. Baldwin as 590-9-63 in 1963; preserved at Illawarra Light Railway Museum, Albion Park NSW. |