Marburg Sugar Mill

In September 1870, Charles Smith bought the “Woodlands” selection of land at Marburg which consisted of 568 acres. As local timber resources became depleted in the 1880s, his son Thomas Lorimer Smith decided to plant sugar cane on the property and subsequently constructed a modern steam operated sugar mill around 1882/83. The Marburg Sugar Mill was established and became one of the largest sugar mills in south east Queensland.

In 1906 the mill was purchased by the Gibson family of Bingera, near Bundaberg. The brothers were already involved in the sugar industry there. W. A. Gibson was appointed manager of Marburg Sugar Mill.

At this time there was about 360 acres of cane under cultivation in the district, much of it was a red cane variety called Baltoe. The Gibsons first crushing season in October 1906 saw 80 farmers bring cane to the mill with an estimated 5500 tons crushed. Thirty-two hands were employed by the mill, and 2 bullock teams. Three horse teams carted unrefined sugar a distance of 6.5 miles from the mill to the railway station at Walloon.

In 1909 W. A. Gibson transitioned from manager to owner of the mill when Marburg Sugar Company sold the mill to him.

The mill's fortunes seem to have wavered over the years.. As far back as 1909 and again in 1914 there were  reports of moving the mill.

The mill closed in 1918 and was dismantled and re-built at Bingera, where the Gibsons had previously had an interest in a mill and plantation.