Refining Still History Kangaroo Island

Explore a captivating slice of Emu Ridge history that highlights Larry the founders exceptional ingenuity! From humble beginnings in 1991, Larry’s innovative spirit and creative thinking were crucial in shaping what we offer you today. His dedication and vision paved the way for our awesome Kangaroo Island agritourism business and products you see now! 

Larry’s original refining still, was ingeniously crafted from an old beer keg he purchased from Paramount Brown. He combined this with a 44-gallon drum and copper pipe, creating a unique and functional setup for refining our oil. We used it from 1991 – 1996. This DIY approach showcases his resourcefulness and commitment to establishing the business from the ground up.

The Old MacGillivray Post Office was our original shop, where we operated from 1991 to 1997, with the refining still set up out the front.

The raw oil from the first distillation, along with water, was placed into this rustic, custom-made still for a second distillation. This process brought the oil up to standard, making it ready for sale. The second distillation removed impurities and increased the cineole levels, the medicinal component of our eucalyptus oil.

We used to take our refining still with us to promote our business, showcasing our oil-making process at events like the YP Field Days, the Adelaide Show, and and in this newspaper feature we were promoting our business and products at the Southern Cross Arcade in Adelaide City Centre.

Our original refining still was always bubbling away at the front of our little shop. In 1997 we upgraded to a new refining still. Raw oil is the dark-colored product from the initial distillation process, while the clear oil comes from the secondary refining process we used to do in the keg still.

Our Original Refining Still, used from 1991 – 1996

Emu Ridge History, the beginnings