Historical information

This is believed to be a photograph from Emerald's Mary Street eucalyptus distillery, that once covered an area between Mary Street and Lakeside Drive. This was not Emerald's only eucalyptus distillery, with another earlier site once occupying what is now Butterfield Reserve. The plantation and distillery was established with Camden Woolbut by Russel Grimwade (of the Felton Grimwade pharmaceutical firm) in partnership with the Bosisto corporation.

Significance

This photograph captures a significant site to one of the few most important industries to historical Emerald.

Physical description

This item is a black and white photograph printed on modern photo paper. The reverse features annotations, an accession number and the Epson logo, The shot looks into a eucalyptus distillery under an open-walled structure. Captured are several pieces of equipment - a round tank built into the ground, a metal-enclosed piece of machinery in the background, and an elevated water tank outside of the structure. There are two women sitting on the partially buried tank, and a man besides them, standing outside of the structure. The bottom-right and top-left have abrasions from the original negative.

Inscriptions & markings

Reverse: "Emerald Distillery / 1920 / Mary St Emerald / Eucalyptus Distillary" (sic)
Reverse, Faded/Faint/Erased: "Arch Nobelius [illegible]"