Jimboomba beekeepers, Natasha and Jason Roebig have been recognised as local legends, as part of a Logan City Council’s campaign to celebrate the everyday heroes of Logan.
For Natasha and Jason Roebig, the journey to creating their bee-focused business – Bee All Natural – began not in a boardroom, but in their Logan home, driven by love, necessity and a desire to heal.
When their daughter Miranda was just one year old, she suffered from severe eczema.
Steroid creams offered temporary relief, but these came with painful side effects: thinning skin, hair loss and constant discomfort.
“We were desperate,” Mrs Roebig said.
“Our naturopath suggested raw honey, and it worked, but Miranda kept licking it off her skin.”
From there, the Jimboomba couple began experimenting with beeswax to create a balm; infusing essential oils and refining a natural remedy that transformed Miranda’s life.
As Bee All Natural grew and diversified beyond raw honey, this original solution evolved into Alvèa Australis; an all-natural bath, body, and skincare brand with more than 100 products formulated for sensitive skin.
The balm itself became the foundation of Bee All Natural, a family-run business producing raw honey alongside a wide range of honey-based bath, body, and beauty products.
From lip balms and moisturisers to pet wash and furniture polish, every item is handcrafted with care using honey and wax harvested from their own hives.
What started with two hives in 2013 has grown into a thriving operation with more than 400 hives, a physical honey studio, and a bustling online store.
But Bee All Natural is much more than a business, it now has a mission to open their world of bees to others, especially those with disability.
Their daughter Miranda, now 13, is their inspiration.
“Miranda is neurodivergent and has ASD, ADHD, and Tourette’s. But when she’s in a bee suit working the hives, everything melts away,” Mr Roebig said.
“Her experiences have made us realise that there’s no barriers to beekeeping, from age five to 95 anyone can learn.”
“A lot of teenagers from Logan with an agricultural background find traditional schooling or TAFE courses isn’t for them. But the second they are around beehives they switch on and learn.”
To share the healing power of bees, the Roebigs have made beekeeping accessible to all by developing inclusive education programs, including holiday workshops with Logan City Council’s KRANK program and vocational training with the Australian Technology and Agricultural College.
Their Adopt-a-Beehive initiative allows families and businesses across Southeast Queensland to sponsor hives, receive honey and even suit up for hands-on experiences.
“It’s a way to support the environment without needing to keep bees yourself, and it helps fund training for students who might not otherwise afford it,” Mrs Roebig said.
The Roebigs are also passionate advocates for Queensland’s honey industry, serving as boutique honey ambassadors for the Queensland Government.
They educate backyard beekeepers on biosecurity, including threats such as the varroa mite.
“Our food security depends on bees because one-third of our food is pollinated by them. It’s incredibly important that we protect this industry and share our knowledge so others in the community become aware,” Mr Roebig said.
The couple have earned numerous accolades for their work in agriculture and education.
Mrs Roebig was awarded the prestigious 2019 Queensland AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award in recognition of her leadership in bee education and community engagement.
She has also been recognised by Landcare Queensland at the Queenslander Water and Land Carers Awards, for her ongoing commitment to rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting native bees, while also delivering vital education programs.
Their honey has also won gold at exhibitions across Queensland, a testament to their happy and healthy bees.
Looking ahead, the Roebigs are preparing to launch a nationally accredited Certificate III in Beekeeping to be delivered in primary and secondary schools – the first of its kind in Southeast Queensland.
“We want to impact the next generation of beekeepers and entrepreneurs. If we can do that, we’ve done our job,” Mr Roebig said.
“We want to improve what we’ve entered into and leave something behind, not just for our daughter, but for every future beekeeper who dares to dream,” Mrs Roebig said.
