Inkerman Mill

Inkerman Mill
Inkerman Mill. 2006. Amos T Fairchild.
Location
Coordinates	19.64296° S, 147.40077° E
State	Queensland
Region	Burdekin
LGA	Burdekin Shire Council
Details
Established	1913 (113 years ago)
Owner	Wilmar Sugar
Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Annual Crush	1,800,000 tonnes (seasonal average)

Inkerman Sugar Mill is a sugar mill located in Home Hill, Queensland, on the southern bank of the Burdekin River. It is one of the four sugar mills currently operating in the Burdekin district and is unique among them for being the only mill located south of the river.

History

Establishment

The mill was established by John Drysdale, a prominent figure in the Burdekin sugar industry who had previously developed the Pioneer and Kalamia estates. Construction began in 1913 under the supervision of Scottish engineer J. Pickering. The machinery was manufactured by George Fletcher and Company of Derby, England.

Inkerman Mill commenced crushing in 1914. Its establishment was a catalyst for the development of the Home Hill township, attracting workers and cane farmers to the southern side of the Burdekin River.

Ownership

The mill was originally owned and operated by Drysdale Brothers and Company, which later became Pioneer Sugar Mills Limited. For much of the 20th century, the mill operated under this entity.

In the late 1980s, the company was acquired by CSR Limited, bringing Inkerman into the CSR sugar division. In 2010, CSR sold its sugar and renewable energy business, known as Sucrogen, to Wilmar International. Since then, the mill has been owned and operated by Wilmar Sugar.

Recent Developments

The mill celebrated its centenary in 2014. In recent years, it has continued to receive significant investment, including the commissioning of a new 26 tonne locomotive named 'The Alma' in 2023.

Infrastructure

Milling

Inkerman Mill is a dual milling train factory with an annual crushing capacity of approximately 1.7 to 1.8 million tonnes of sugar cane. It produces around 260,000 tonnes of raw sugar each season.

Tramway

The mill operates an extensive 610 mm (2 ft) gauge tramway network that services the cane growing areas of Home Hill, Kirknie, Up River, and Iona.

Unlike the other three Wilmar mills in the Burdekin (Invicta, Pioneer, and Kalamia), which are interconnected by rail on the northern side of the river, the Inkerman railway network is physically isolated on the southern bank.

• Network Isolation: Due to the Burdekin River, the rail network does not connect to the north bank mills. Transfer of rolling stock between Inkerman and the other Burdekin mills requires transport by road float.

Production Statistics

Statistic	Value
Average Annual Crush	1,800,000 tonnes
Average Sugar Production	260,000 tonnes
Railway Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Network Status	Isolated (South Burdekin)

Location

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Rollingstock

Name	Builder	Model	Serial	Year	Current Mill	Notes
Iona	Clyde	DHI-71	DHI.2	1954	Out of service	Ex Inkerman Mill IONA. Transferred to Macknade in 1992 for spare parts and subsequently dismantled.
Keebah	Commonwealth Engineering	AF	C2231	1958	Inkerman Mill
Osborne	Commonwealth Engineering	AH	AH2866	1963	Inkerman Mill
Koolkuna	Commonwealth Engineering	AM	AM4993	1965	Inkerman Mill
Carstairs	E.M Baldwin	DH18	6-2715-1-9-68	1968	Inkerman Mill
Iona	E.M. Baldwin	DH26B	4498-1-7-72	1972	Inkerman Mill	Formerly Kalamia Mill KILRIE; transferred to Inkerman in 1992 and renamed IONA. Wilmar announced in April 2024 that the new 26-tonne locomotive KIRKNIE would replace IONA at Inkerman. Later disposition of IONA has not been established.
Bojack	E.M. Baldwin	DH26B	7280-1-9-77	1977	Inkerman Mill	Formerly Kalamia Mill SEAFORTH; transferred to Inkerman in 1996 and renamed BOJACK. Listed as available for service in the Inkerman fleet in 2024.
Alma	Wilmar	Canefield		2024	Inkerman Mill	Wilmar 26-tonne new build; delivered to Inkerman Mill in March 2024 for the 2024 crushing season. First new-model locomotive for Inkerman since Iyah was commissioned in 1976.
Alma	Commonwealth Engineering	FE	FE56110	1975	Out of service	Out of use since 2002; engine removed in 2005. Gutted and de-wheeled, and still stored in the Inkerman mill yard in August 2020.
Lil Toot	Baguley	BG6	3354	1951	Out of service	Built for Inkerman Mill as LI'L TOOT. Preserved in the Puffing Billy Railway collection, Victoria.
Iyah	E.M. Baldwin	DH24B Mk8	6558-1-6-76	1976	Inkerman Mill
(Blank)	Malcolm Moore	4wDM	1013	1943	Out of service	Built for the Australian Army in 1943 and sold to Inkerman about 1948. Purchased from Inkerman by Puffing Billy Railway in 1982 and preserved at Menzies Creek.
Inkerman 1	Hunslet	0-6-0T	1119	1913	Out of service	Preserved; LRRSA recorded with Tom Callow and others, Home Hill (2011).
Kirknie	Wilmar	Canefield		2024	Inkerman Mill	Wilmar 26-tonne Canefield B-B diesel-hydraulic new build for Inkerman Mill; delivered in 2024 to replace Iona. Reported as model DH26B and build identifier 004 of 2024; formal Wilmar designation/build number not yet confirmed.