Cattle Creek Mill

Cattle Creek Mill
Cattle Creek Mill. 1913.
Location
Coordinates	21.14072° S, 148.63431° E
State	Queensland
Region	Mackay
LGA	Mackay Regional Council
Details
Established	1906 (120 years ago)
Closed	1990 (36 years ago)
Owner	Mackay Sugar
Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Annual Crush	350,000 tonnes (seasonal average prior to closure)

Cattle Creek Mill was a raw sugar factory located at Finch Hatton in the Pioneer Valley, west of Mackay. The mill operated from 1906 to 1990 and was the primary economic driver for the Finch Hatton township for most of the 20th century. Following the rationalisation of the Mackay sugar industry in the late 1980s, the mill was closed and its cane assignment transferred to the Marian Mill.

History

Establishment

The impetus to develop a sugar mill in the Finch Hatton district arose following the extension of the government railway line to the area, which opened on 4 November 1904. Prior to the mill's construction, cane grown in the district was transported by rail to the Racecourse Mill for crushing.

The mill was established as a private enterprise without government financial assistance, utilising capital raised through a public prospectus. Construction utilised second hand machinery salvaged from other regional mills that had closed or upgraded, including the crushing plant from the defunct Habana Mill, buildings from the River Estate, and machinery from Nindaroo Mill. The mill commenced its first crushing season in September 1906, processing 14,674 tons of cane.

Cooperative Era

In July 1929, the ownership structure changed, and the facility became a cooperative known as the Cattle Creek Co-operative Sugar Milling Association.

The mill faced significant operational challenges in the post war period. In March 1952, the mill reportedly faced bankruptcy due to inadequate cane supplies and rising costs. Later that same year, a fire broke out in the bagasse lofts, threatening the entire facility before being contained. Despite these setbacks, the mill undertook reconstruction works, and by 1949, upgrades allowed the mill to process crushing rates of 75 tons per hour.

Amalgamation and Closure

On 1 February 1988, the Cattle Creek Mill merged with Farleigh, Racecourse, Marian, and North Eton mills to form the Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association Limited.

Cattle Creek had historically been the smallest mill in the Mackay district. As part of Mackay Sugar's rationalisation plans, the decision was made to close the facility. The mill crushed cane for the last time on 8 November 1990. Following closure, the cane supply area was reassigned to the Marian Mill.

The administration building was eventually restored and repurposed as the administration centre for the Finch Hatton Mountain Bike Park.

Infrastructure

Tramway

The mill operated a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge tramway network to transport cane from farms to the mill.

• Rolling Stock: During the steam era, the mill operated locomotives such as "Robbie Burns" (Borsig, 1907). In the diesel era, the mill acquired modern motive power, including the last cane locomotive built by Commonwealth Engineering (ComEng), delivered in 1977.
• Network Integration: Upon the mill's closure in 1990, the tramway network was not dismantled but was instead integrated into the Marian Mill network. This integration allowed cane from the upper Pioneer Valley to be transported by rail to Marian for processing.

Production Statistics

At the time of its closure, Cattle Creek was the smallest mill in the region.

Statistic	Value
Average Annual Crush	350,000 tonnes
Railway Gauge	610 mm (2 ft)
Status	Closed (Network Integrated with Marian)

Location

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Rollingstock

Name	Builder	Model	Serial	Year	Current Mill	Notes
Cattle Creek	Commonwealth Engineering	AA	B1724	1957	Out of service	Transferred to Mossman for parts in 2003. Sold to South Johnstone Mill in 2024. Current location unknown.
Finch Hatton	Commonwealth Engineering	NA	NA59112	1977	Out of service	Only BB ComEng Loco. Stored at North Eton Depot
3	Commonwealth Engineering	AL	AL4892	1965	Out of service