Britannia Creek Wood Distillation Plant

[1] The plant grew out of turbulent times in the late 1880s when the State of Victoria and its capital Melbourne was experiencing an unprecedented land boom.

Cuming, Smith and Co survived and seized the opportunity to investigate producing chemicals using wood waste left behind after forest harvesting.

About 40 different chemicals, some liquid and some gases, were formed during the process leaving charcoal which was also in great demand for industrial gas engines and domestic uses.

[2] The later advent of electricity from Victoria's vast brown coalfields in the Latrobe Valley after the war drastically reduced the demand for charcoal.

It wasn't until the second world war and the shortage of petrol that Victoria once again looked to charcoal as a fuel and the Forest Commission built Kurth Kiln at nearby Gembrook.

The end of the War in 1918 opened up global trade again cheaper imports together with the decline for charcoal led to the final closure of the Britannia Creek distillation plant in 1924.

After changing hands a few times the land and building were sold to the Victorian Girl Guides Association in 1938 and became known as Britannia Park.