WHEN you think of a distillery tour, tipples such as gin and whisky come to mind. But a tourist attraction in Loddon Valley is giving visitors a glimpse into the production of Australia's first indigenous export.
The region is the only place left in Australia where you can see every generation of eucalyptus oil production.
The Inglewood Eucalyptus Distillery Museum in the Gold Rush town of Inglewood is set on the site of the old Jones distillery in the heart of "eucy country". The interactive attraction tells the story of Australia's eucalyptus oil industry and its unique links with the region.
Together with the working 'eucy stew pot' at Hard Hill Tourist Reserve in nearby Wedderburn, you can learn about the history of blue mallee eucalyptus oil production.
At the Inglewood museum a working model of the old steam boil eucalyptus distillery stands outside.
Distilled from gum leaves, the fragrant cure-all oil was Australia's first indigenous export. Shortly after the First Fleet landed in 1778 the oil was sent back to England for testing.
And at the museum, the public can find out how important the eucalyptus industry has been to the local district.
In 2004 the museum was given a boost, when it was bought by eucalyptus producer Bosisto's and subsequently donated back to the Inglewood township of Inglewood.
"The story of eucalyptus oil really is unique to this area," said Bosisto's executive director Tegan Abbot.
"The blue mallee is native to the Inglewood-Wedderburn region and simply does not grow well anywhere else, apart from around West Wyalong in southern New South Wales. These trees yield the best medicinal oil that can be produced in the world."
Loddon Shire Council's tourism and marketing officer Robyn Vella is also a volunteer 'eucy cutter' with in Wedderburn, working with her father to cut and process the oil at the stew pot.
"The eucalyptus stew pot is the first way they made eucalyptus before the steam boil came to fruition.
Visitors come on site and they see how blue Mallee eucalyptus oil is produced from start to finish in the stew pot," she said.
Located on the northern side of Inglewood, the museum is around 50 kilometres west of Bendigo and two hours from the centre of Melbourne.
Work is also now underway to build a miniature railway around the site, and there's also a cafe with souvenirs and natural products for sale.
The working eucy stew pot is at Hard Hill Tourist Reserve in Wedderburn. You can also find our more at the Eucalyptus Discovery Centre at Loddon Shire Visitor Centre.