Plane Creek Mill

Racecourse Mill
Racecourse Mill. 2016. (Kerry Raymond)
Location
Coordinates	21.16447° S, 149.13422° E
State	Queensland
Region	Mackay
LGA	Mackay Regional Council
Details
Established	1886 (140 years ago)
Owner	Mackay Sugar
Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Annual Crush	1,600,000 tonnes, seasonal average

Plane Creek Sugar Mill is a sugar mill located in Sarina, approximately 37 kilometres south of Mackay, Queensland. It is currently owned by Wilmar Sugar and operates a 610mm gauge tramway network to transport sugar cane from surrounding farms to the mill.

History

Establishment

The Plane Creek area was first settled by pastoralists Edmund Atherton and Henry Bell in the 1860s. By the 1890s, local farmers sought to establish a central sugar mill to process cane crops in the district. The Plane Creek Central Mill Company Limited was formed in March 1894 under the Sugar Works Guarantee Act 1893, which allowed the company to mortgage land to the Queensland Government in exchange for a loan of £65,000 to construct the mill.

The contract for the mill machinery was awarded to Walkers Limited of Maryborough. Construction began under the supervision of G. Wolfe and J.B. Wood, and the first crushing season commenced on 4 November 1896. During this inaugural season, the mill processed 3,579 tonnes of cane to produce 371 tonnes of raw sugar.

Operational History

Initially, the mill struggled financially, leading to the appointment of government guarantor directors. However, operations stabilised by the early 20th century. A significant development occurred in 1925 with the construction of the Plane Creek Power Alcohol Company plant adjacent to the mill. This facility was designed to process molasses (a byproduct of sugar production) into ethanol, a project supported by then Queensland Premier Edward Theodore.

The mill's water supply was secured through the construction of weirs on Plane Creek in 1926 and 1935. The extension of the North Coast railway line in the 1920s allowed cane to be transported from as far south as Flaggy Rock.

In 1995, Plane Creek Mill commenced the production of Very High Pol (VHP) sugar, also known as VLC (Very Low Colour) sugar.

Ownership

The mill remained a grower-owned cooperative for much of its history.

• 1974: The mill was acquired by Pioneer Sugar Mills Limited.
• 1987: CSR Limited acquired Pioneer Sugar, bringing Plane Creek under its control.
• 2010: CSR sold its sugar milling division, Sucrogen, to the Singapore-based agribusiness Wilmar International. The mill is currently operated by Wilmar Sugar Australia.

Infrastructure

Tramway

The mill operates an extensive 610mm (2 ft) gauge tramway network. Original proposals in 1896 included a 15-mile line to a wharf at Louisa Creek for sugar export. Today, the network extends south to Carmilla and is known for its long haulage distances.

A unique feature of the Plane Creek railway operations is the use of Distributed Power (DP) trains, where a second locomotive is placed mid-train to assist with braking and traction on long consists. This system is used on the run from the Karloo siding, approximately 65km from the mill.

Rolling Stock

The locomotive fleet has historically included both steam and diesel traction.

• Steam: Early motive power included locomotives from John Fowler & Co. and Maffei. Notable units included "Coronation" and "Billy" (Maffei 0-6-0WT, built 1911).
• Diesel: The mill began dieselisation in the mid-20th century. The fleet has included:
  • Clyde Engineering 0-6-0DH units (e.g., D1, D2, No. 3, No. 4).
  • Commonwealth Engineering (Com-Eng) 0-6-0DH units.
  • Rebuilt ex-government locomotives, such as the "Carmilla" (ex-NSWGR 73 class) and "Victoria" (ex-Queensland Rail DH class).

Production Statistics

As of the 2020s, Plane Creek Mill has the following average annual production statistics:

Commodity	Average Annual Output
Sugar Cane Crushed	1,200,000 tonnes
Raw Sugar Produced	180,000 tonnes

See Also

• List of sugar mills in Queensland
• Sugar tramways in Queensland

Location

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Rollingstock

Name	Builder	Model	Serial	Year	Current Mill	Notes
Tully 7	Walkers	GH500	657	1970	Tully Mill	Converted by Tulk Goninan - 1994
Sunnyside	Clyde	DHI-71	57-160	1957	Racecourse Mill
Seaforth	Clyde	HG-3R	61-233	1961	Racecourse Mill
Victoria Plains	Clyde	HG-3R	66-490	1966	Racecourse Mill
Broadsound	Clyde	DHI-71HS	70-710	1970	Racecourse Mill	Fitted with hydrostatic drive. Converted to hydraulic.
22 Pinnacle	Commonwealth Engineering	AN	AN5849	1975	Racecourse Mill	Rebuilt 1975 from ComEng, AA, AA1549
North Eton	E.M. Baldwin	DH24B Mk9	6780-2-8-76	1976	Racecourse Mill
Shannon	E.M. Baldwin	DH24B	7126-1-5-77	1977	Racecourse Mill
Mia Mia	E.M. Baldwin	DH28B	9815-1-10-81	1981	Racecourse Mill
Melba	E.M. Baldwin		12512-1-7-1985	1985	Racecourse Mill	Rebuilt by E.M. Baldwin from Clyde HG-3R, 64-377, 1964
Conningsby	Clyde	HG-3R	61-232	1961	Racecourse Mill	Stored
Bassett	Clyde	HG-3R	67-596	1967	Racecourse Mill	Stored
Munbura	Clyde	DHI-71	67-570	1967	Racecourse Mill
Chelona	Clyde	DHI-7	59-201	1959	Out of service	Stored at North Eton Depot
52 Racecourse	Clyde	DHI-71	65-440	1965	Out of service	Stored at North Eton Depot
Homebush	Clyde	DHI-71	55-58	1955	Out of service	Unknown location
Rosella	Clyde	DHI-71	64-317	1964	Out of service	Unknown location
(Blank)	Motor Rail		21622	1957	Out of service
(Blank)	Ruston Hornsby	48DLG	392120	1955	Out of service
(Blank)	E.M. Baldwin	DH8T	6-2612-1-10-68	1968	Out of service
(Blank)	E.M. Baldwin	DH8T	6-2612-2-11-68	1968	Out of service