Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery: Lisa explores the Kangaroo Island region of South Australia

Travel the backroads of Kangaroo Island and one of its major industries becomes all too clear. Sheep now roam paddocks once covered with the island's unique narrow leaf mallee.

But it wasn't that long ago that KI's flora fuelled a very different economic enterprise. Eucalyptus oil is an important and colourful part of Kangaroo Island's history. It goes as far back as the 1880s when dozens of stills were established making it one of the island's major industries.

FH Faulding and Co saw its potential and established two plantations on its Emu Ridge property in the late 1930s. One plantation failed while the other survived and is still going strong today. It's the last Eucalyptus Distillery in the State and one of only 10 left in the country. It's the lifelong obsession of KI local, Larry Turner.

We caught up with Larry when he had the chainsaw out in one of his plantations cutting back the new leaf growth, which is rich in eucalyptus oil. It's a simple process - first you cut the stuff, stick it in a huge cast iron tub with water, light a very big fire underneath and let it all boil.

"The leaves have all been boiled down and the oil has been extracted," explained Larry. What we do now is discard this leaf, put another lot in and the process starts again. Beautiful smell isn't it?"

A lot of the equipment on Larry's Emu Ridge operation dates back to the very early KI Eucalyptus distillers. With a duelling banjos soundtrack you'd swear Larry and the team were whipping up batch of illegal hooch but this is one ex shearer who's proud of his industry and reckons it certainly beats traditional farming.

"The steam and vapour travel to the condenser cooling it. Oil goes to the white container and water is recycled back into the boiler and it will come out in the pure form. Now it's ready for bottling, labelling marketing and distributing."

It's applications are endless and if you don't believe me just check out the store. There's eucalyptus soap, massage oil, you name it. But perhaps the best man to spruik its wonders is the last KI eucalyptus distiller himself.

"It's used a lot for coughs, colds, open wounds, burns, insect bites. Very good as a cleaner, removing chewing gum from carpet, grease, oil stains on clothes, tar off cars. We wash our pet animals in it as well for fleas and ticks and it's a very good penetrating oil for un-seizing rusted or seized bolts."

Larry's distillery is part of long KI tradition. Back in the 1930s there were 48 privately owned operations employing over six hundred people on the island. But by the 1950s it was all over.

"It died out. The returned soldier settler scheme finished it off. As Australia developed its sheep, its grain, its beef industry our natural base resources just died out."

But thanks to Larry Turner and his family this KI tradition continues. And while you visit make sure you check on the daily feeding schedule for the laid back locals. It's all part of the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery on Willsons Road at MacGillivray.

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery
Willsons Road
MacGillivary
Kangaroo Island

Published 15 October 2006