Racecourse 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	1889 (137 years ago)
Owner	Mackay Sugar
Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Annual Crush	1,700,000 tonnes (maximum production)

Racecourse Mill is a raw sugar factory located at Racecourse, approximately 6 kilometres south-west of Mackay. It is one of three operating sugar mills owned by Mackay Sugar, which is majority owned by the German sugar producer Nordzucker. The Racecourse site is also home to Mackay Sugar's corporate office and central workshop, the Sugar Australia Racecourse Refinery and a 38 MW cogeneration plant.

History

Establishment

The Racecourse Central Sugar Company Limited was formed in 1886 by local cane growers seeking to establish a central mill in the Racecourse district. The company's articles of association were signed on 14 October 1886.

The project received financial assistance from the Queensland Government. An 1889 report by the Queensland Sugar Industry Commission recorded that £21,999 had been advanced to the company from government funds and that seventeen shareholders had mortgaged their land as security for the construction of the mill.

The original milling plant was purchased from Mirrlees, Tait & Watson of Glasgow. The mill was completed in 1889 and began operations that year.

Racecourse initially had considerably more crushing capacity than its available cane supply and the mill progressively expanded its supply area. In 1914, Racecourse purchased the nearby Meadowlands Mill, which ceased crushing that year.

Following the closure of CSR's Homebush Mill after the 1921 crushing season, the Homebush cane area was initially supplied to Farleigh Mill. In 1927, an agreement between Farleigh and Racecourse transferred the Homebush supply area to Racecourse in exchange for the Calen and Kolijo areas being supplied to Farleigh.

Co-operative era

In 1927, the Racecourse Co-operative Sugar Association Limited was formed to acquire the assets of the Racecourse Central Sugar Company Limited.

The mill was progressively reconstructed and modernised during the twentieth century as its crushing capacity and cane supply area increased.

In November 1987, Racecourse growers voted in favour of amalgamation with the other Mackay district milling co-operatives. On 1 February 1988, Racecourse, Farleigh, Marian, North Eton and Cattle Creek amalgamated to form the Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association Limited. The new organisation also purchased Pleystowe Mill from CSR Limited.

Mackay Sugar ceased operating as a co-operative and became an unlisted public company in 2008. In July 2019, Nordzucker acquired a 70 per cent controlling interest in Mackay Sugar.

Infrastructure

Milling

Racecourse Mill has a stated maximum production capacity of approximately 1.7 million tonnes of cane per crushing season.

On average, the mill produces approximately 213,000 tonnes of raw sugar and 58,000 tonnes of molasses annually.

Racecourse Refinery

Racecourse was selected in 1991 as the site of a refining joint venture between Mackay Sugar and ED & F Man. The Racecourse Refinery was completed and commissioned in 1994 adjacent to the raw sugar mill.

The refinery is now operated by Sugar Australia, in which Wilmar Sugar holds a 75 per cent interest and Mackay Sugar holds 25 per cent. It is Australia's largest sugar refinery and has the capacity to produce up to approximately 450,000 tonnes of refined sugar annually.

Raw sugar is supplied directly from Racecourse Mill during the crushing season, supplemented by sugar from other Mackay district mills and, during the non-crushing season, from the Mackay Bulk Sugar Terminal. The refinery produces white and specialty sugars marketed principally under the CSR brand.

Cogeneration Plant

A 38 megawatt cogeneration plant was constructed at Racecourse Mill at a cost of approximately $120 million. The project was approved in 2010 and the plant was commissioned by February 2013.

The plant uses bagasse, the fibrous residue remaining after sugar cane is crushed, as its principal fuel. Bagasse from Mackay Sugar's Marian and Farleigh mills can also be transported to Racecourse when it is surplus to those mills' own energy requirements.

The cogeneration plant supplies steam and electricity to Racecourse Mill and the adjacent refinery and exports surplus electricity to the national grid. It generates approximately 156,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually, of which approximately 108,000 MWh is exported.

Tramway

Racecourse Mill is served by a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge cane railway carrying harvested cane from farms in the central and southern sections of the Mackay cane-growing district.

The Racecourse system forms part of Mackay Sugar's interconnected cane railway network, allowing cane movements between mill supply areas when required.

Production Statistics

Statistic	Value
Maximum Cane Production	1,700,000 tonnes
Average Raw Sugar Production	213,000 tonnes
Average Molasses Production	58,000 tonnes
Average Electricity Generated	156,000 MWh
Average Electricity Exported	108,000 MWh
Refinery Capacity	Up to 450,000 tonnes
Railway Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)

Location

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Rollingstock

Name	Builder	Model	Serial	Year	Current Mill	Notes
Tully 7	Walkers	GH500	657	1970	Tully Mill	Ex QR DH70; rebuilt in 1994. Ex Balberra, Racecourse Mill; transferred to Tully in 2008.
Te Kowai	Clyde	DHI-71	56-103	1956	Racecourse Mill	Available for service in the Mackay Sugar fleet as of April 2024.
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	1971	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	6780.1 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 as of 2024.
52 Racecourse	Clyde	DHI-71	65-440	1965	Out of service	Stored at North Eton as of 2024.
Homebush	Clyde	DHI-71	55-58	1955	Out of service	Stored in the Mackay Sugar fleet (2024).
Rosella	Clyde	DHI-71	64-317	1964	Out of service	Stored in the Mackay Sugar fleet (2024).
(Blank)	Motor Rail		21622	1957	Out of service	Out of use by 1983 and later derelict. Acquired by Peter McFarlane for the Sugar Bowl Museum at Septimus in early 2003 after lying derelict for at least 13 years.
Old Smokey	Ruston Hornsby	48DLG	392120	1955	Out of service	Ex Racecourse. Later with B&S Radic at Coolum. Advertised for sale in November 2014 and reported sold by December 2014. Later disposition not established.
Leo	E.M. Baldwin	DH8T	6-2612-1-10-68	1968	Out of service	Ex Pearson Bridge; rebuilt at Racecourse. Sold at the 2003 Mackay Sugar auction to Kenneth Petts, Walkerston, and subsequently recorded there in preservation.
Road Runner	E.M. Baldwin	DH8T	6-2612-2-11-68	1968	Out of service	Ex Pearson Bridge; rebuilt at Racecourse. Preserved at Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway, Victoria.