Those spearheading the push to build tourism in Logan have been awarded the state’s top industry honours, saying it is only the start of great things for the city.
Local businesses collected several major trophies at the Queensland Tourism Awards, including Beenleigh Artisan Rum Distillery, which won Gold in Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries; Devon Pixies, which claimed Gold in Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services; and Distillery Road Market, which picked up Bronze for New Tourism Business.
For the rum distillery, the win caps off an 18-month transformation led by venue manager Ross Adams.
The overhaul has included “reimagining” visitor experiences with a a new team, restaurant, tour and even a museum.
“There’s been a lot of investment – training, personnel – so to get to this point where we can be recognised for the hard work we’ve put in over the last 18 months is absolutely amazing.”
Mr Adams said the focus had been on unlocking the site’s heritage and cultural significance, as the oldest standing rum distillery in Australia.
“You’re talking about an Australian icon,” he said.
“The importance of this place to south-east Queensland is paramount. All we’re doing is bringing it back to life like it was back in the day.”
“We haven’t had food here since we relaunched the visitor centre in 2012… We’ve got a full table-service restaurant now, new limited releases, customers can select their own bottle numbers, we’ve reimagined the tour, and there’s now a museum with history and information. We’ve invited back that history and culture to what we do here.”
Mr Adams said the distillery was now attracting both locals and international tour groups.
“Not just our local visitor economy, but the wider regions are coming to us,” he said.
He said collaborations were growing, including work with other Logan operators to build a joint visitor trail.
Devon Pixies founder Arwen McGregor said the wins showed Logan’s tourism industry was far stronger than outsiders realise.
“This is validation that Logan does have a tourism industry,” she said.
“Logan got more awards than Brisbane proper.”
She said she wanted to see more Logan operators enter the awards in future.
Ms McGregor confirmed local businesses are collaborating on a pitch to bring cruise-ship day-trippers through Logan, a project she said demonstrated the city’s hidden cultural depth.
The working title is “Butter, Sugar, Rum” – a full-day tour showcasing Logan’s colonial, agricultural and Indigenous heritage.
The proposal includes a stop at Devon Pixies for “Logan’s favourite scones” and a look inside the Kingston Butter Factory, followed by a visit to Beenleigh Historical Village for an Indigenous cultural experience and museum tour, then lunch, a tour and tasting at Beenleigh Artisan Rum Distillery, before passengers return to their ship.
“We strongly believe people are missing out by not experiencing this part of their history,” Ms McGregor said.
“We’ve always had this rich manufacturing and agricultural history – dairy, butter, sugar, rum. You don’t get these connections in Brisbane or the Gold Coast anymore.”
International visitors, she said, often struggle to find authentic cultural and historical experiences on short itineraries.
“They might go to an Indigenous cultural experience, which is great, but it’s not combined. Here, you’re showing that we’ve collaborated, that we’ve got a combined history.”
She said the momentum from the tourism awards would help advance the pitch.
“We’ve got some leverage now,” she said.
“Two of us winning gold – it’s huge.”
