History
The eucalyptus oil industry is an important and colourful part of Australia’s history.
It began in 1852 in Victoria and became well established by the turn of the century, when Eucalyptus oil became a major Australian export overseas. Eucalyptus leaves have been used as traditional medicine by Australian Aboriginal people long before industrialisation made Eucalyptus essential oil a commodity. The owners of the land used would cut the virgin scrub by hand with slashers and special sickles and use the oil as medicine for fevers, chills and body aches. In recent years, this distinctively Australian industry became the major supplier of Eucalyptus oil to world markets.