Maffra Beet Museum

This quaint cluster of buildings, the wooden Office and Weighbridge of the Maffra Sugar Beet Company, have been relocated from their original site near the Gippsland Vehicle Collection just over a kilometre away. They are the last remnant of a sugar industry that flourished in the Shire from the late 1860s to the mid 20th century, with its peak in the decade prior to World War 2. The war decimated the labour force and changing farming demands mean the industry effectively ended before 1950.

The main room of the Sugar Beet Museum tells the story of the local industry – the only one in Australia to produce sugar – and looks at the growing, harvesting and processing of the beet.

A second display room features local businesses and changing displays, while a recent display looked at the construction of Glenmaggie Weir – originally built to provide a reliable water source for the sugar beet industry and ensure good returns for the growers. But the irrigation of the district led to farming heading in quite a different direction.

The museum is open from 10am – 1pm on the first Sunday of each month, or by appointment for groups.