Sugar cane plantations were established in the Brandon region in the early 1880s, however initially struggled due to the lack of adequate rainfall. While the plantations had access to several open water lagoons in the region, using them for irrigation proved very expensive. Relief came in 1886 when vast underground aquifers were discovered.
A sugar cane train on route to the Pioneer Sugar Mill, near Brandon in the Burdekin. Photo credit: QSL sourced from the State Library of Queensland