Visitors are invited to step onto a working family farm and experience its story firsthand, as part of this year’s Australian Heritage Festival.
Gillens Creek Garden, located at 323 Gordons Road, Alloway, will host a free on-farm open day on Sunday 17 May, with guided sessions at 10 am and 2 pm.
The Marin family has cared for this land since the 1950s.
Once one of the region’s last tobacco farms, production continued until 1993 before transitioning to sugar cane.
Today, the farm continues to evolve, with the next generation returning in 2025 to begin a new chapter, growing Australian native flowers for picking and producing spray-free wheat, stone-ground on site.
Guests will be guided through the original drying barns and baling sheds, offering a rare glimpse into the infrastructure of a working tobacco farm.
These spaces now reflect the changing face of rural life.
The baling shed, once central to farm operations, now houses milling rooms for stone-ground flour downstairs, with an art studio above.
The original sorting shed was transformed into a farmstay in the late 1990s and is now home to the next generation.
This event is an opportunity to share the history of farming in the Bundaberg Region while demonstrating how heritage can be preserved and adapted.
It highlights the evolution of farming practices, changing industries and the enduring connection between land, family and community.
Visitors can also enjoy a flower farming walk, milling demonstrations, free samples of goodies made with our stone-ground whole wheat and an open art studio display.
Australian Heritage Festival runs from Saturday 18 April to Monday 18 May.
For more events and activities, see the full Bundaberg Region Australian Heritage Festival program here.
Tobacco Farm Tour and Gillens Creek Garden
When: Sunday 17 May
Tours: 10 am and 2 pm
Where: 323 Gordons Road, Alloway
No bookings are required and visitors are welcome to arrive for either session.
Hat and closed-in shoes recommended.
