Situated on Harwood Island, overlooking prime agricultural land and the majestic Clarence River, is one of the oldest continuously operating sugar mills in the country.

The Harwood Sugar Mill and Refinery has been crushing cane since 1874, and is one of three facilities in the state owned and managed by Sunshine Sugar, an Australian partnership between the grower-owned NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative and the family owned agribusiness Manildra Group.

In 2024, the Harwood Sugar Mill and Refinery is proud to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

To commemorate this significant milestone, the Clarence Valley Independent is proud to present this special feature in our August 21 edition of our weekly publication.

We explore the early days of productivity at the Harwood Sugar Mill and Refinery, its evolution and significant contributions to the local economy, growing sugar cane in the Clarence Valley, harvesting and transporting sugar cane, the challenges the sugar industry has overcome throughout the years, and how sweet the future is looking.

We also share congratulatory messages from eminent local persons and extend our own special thanks to Sunshine Sugar and staff at the Harwood Sugar Mill and Refinery for their kind assistance in producing this 12 page feature.

See all the photos and stories in the special feature in the issue.
This article appeared in the  Clarence Valley Independent, 21 August 2024.