For years this place was a disused commercial warehouse on the side of main highway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we must have driven past it hundreds of times. Covered in Graffiti and surrounded by a big fence, I often wondered that it might have been like to wander around and get some photos for a post, but I was just never that adventurous or had the time. It seemed like a waste having such a big place sitting abandoned for so long, eventually after a decade or two, they did something with it. I thought that they could have utilized the old structure but after going inside for a meal on our recent visit, they must have knocked it down completely and just started from scratch. I could not find any details or imagines online of the old place, but it did have some good graffiti and looked a bit spooky.
For years this place was a disused commercial warehouse on the side of main highway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we must have driven past it hundreds of times. Covered in Graffiti and surrounded by a big fence, I often wondered that it might have been like to wander around and get some photos for a post, but I was just never that adventurous or had the time. It seemed like a waste having such a big place sitting abandoned for so long, eventually after a decade or two, they did something with it. I thought that they could have utilized the old structure but after going inside for a meal on our recent visit, they must have knocked it down completely and just started from scratch. I could not find any details or imagines online of the old place, but it did have some good graffiti and looked a bit spooky. 

All the locals know this new building as the Distillery Road Markets, but it is more like a pub and a live music venue. I always thought the old building was somehow linked to the Beenleigh Rum Distillery but maybe there was never a connection other than both being on Distillery Road. The new complex does have an indoor market area but is not open all the time. 

We ate and had a drink at the Perentie Brewery within the markets, but it turned out Perentie was owned by Zarraffa’s coffee which is a big chain out here and within this complex is Zarraffa’s head quatres and their main warehouse. It was all well-hidden and separated. The building is massive from the outside but there was not much to really explore and check inside.
We ate and had a drink at the Perentie Brewery within the markets, but it turned out Perentie was owned by Zarraffa's coffee which is a big chain out here and within this complex is Zarraffa's head quatres and their main warehouse. It was all well-hidden and separated. The building is massive from the outside but there was not much to really explore and check inside.
Beenleigh Rum Distillery was next door it is the oldest registered distillery in Australia.
Beenleigh Rum Distillery was next door it is the oldest registered distillery in Australia. 
1912 photo source Queensland State Library
1912 photo source Queensland State Library
I never knew they had a floating distillery back in the old days and it used to visit all the sugar cane farms. Seems being mobile helped avoid tax and regulations eventually the government caught up with them and parts from the SS Walrus became the Beenleigh Distillery.
I never knew they had a floating distillery back in the old days and it used to visit all the sugar cane farms. Seems being mobile helped avoid tax and regulations eventually the government caught up with them and parts from the SS Walrus became the Beenleigh Distillery.