Welcome to our second edition of the Sandalwood Scoop – a fresh look at Australian Sandalwood, the latest news and happenings at our distillery, recommended products to use for the season and more.
Follow our eco-friendly journey!
As awareness of the alarming changes to our natural environment is heightening – we would like to share with you our eco initiatives in our distillery, based in the South western coastal town of Albany. Mt Romance Australia is the world’s largest Sandalwood oil distillery and the responsibility and impact we have on the environment is not taken lightly.
We have come a long way and are proud of what we have achieved in the past years. We look forward to expanding on these environmentally friendly initiatives with a conscious approach to our product packaging in the near future… stay tuned!
The Water Treatment Plant
By 2009, the Sandalwood oil production had expanded rapidly at Mt Romance. We use a steam distillation method for our Sandalwood, which requires water to cool the 14 steam distillation units. When operating at maximum capacity in those times, we were using up to 80,000 litres of water daily.
After plenty of industry relevant research and investigation, in 2010 Mt Romance installed a water treatment plant to recycle the thousands of litres of water used. The water treatment plant consists of seven tanks with various stages to treat, clean and filter the old water from the distillery. To monitor and control the quality of this operators perform routine checks every 3 hours to record pH levels and other critical information.
Through advanced treatment processes and investment into plant upgrades, we now recycle all waste water produced during steam distillation and other factory processes. This is then re-purposed for use in the cooling system. In 2017, we also installed a rainwater tank which collects 300,000 litres of all roof tops. We draw from this daily for use in the cooling cycle to ensure there is always room for the collection of more from the wet Albany conditions! An onsite bore water system is also in daily use for the same function. This is all in an effort to minimise the consumption of Albany’s precious drinking water source.
Since 2010 – we have recycled at least 43 million litres of water!
Product Focus: Australian Sandalwood Beads
Western Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) has been used for thousands of years in traditional Australian Aboriginal medicine. The scent was used to relax and focus before walkabout and the wood has been used for sacred ornaments, fans and incense holders globally for centuries. It is widely recognised as a beautifully aromatic wood - calming and soothing, helping to promote humility and the ability to focus the mind. Using these beautiful Sandalwood beads leaves a lingering and pleasant aroma on your body. They are also the perfect gift!
Community Involvement
We recently supported the Kimberley Pilbara Cattleman’s Association second annual Ladies Day in Broome! Held at Cable Beach Club, the day was filled with bubbles, fun and networking. Our pure Australian Sandalwood Tranquility Packs were provided as a raffle to raise money for the ICPA (Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association) Kimberley Air Branch. Their mission is improving access to education and the provision of services required for children who, due to distance, do not have reasonable daily access to an appropriate continuing education. ICPA seeks to have all elements of education (curriculum, cultural experiences, social contacts, participation in sport and other enriching activities) available for all children regardless of their home location. They raised $4,000 in total on the day and we were happy to be involved!
A big thank you also to Graeme from Albany City Dance Club and Malcolm from the Salvation Army in Floreat who accepted our Pure Australian Sandalwood gift packs as part of their fundraising events for the Rainbow Coast Festival of Dance and Salvation Army Fete.
Albany Happenings
Taste of the Great Southern: Sandalwood Nut High Tea
We are excited to announce we are taking part in the 2020 Taste of the Great Southern! This is a festival that celebrates award winning wine, delicious fresh produce and amazing flavours of the Great Southern. With 20+ chefs including local stars, Perth talent and an Australian Guest Chef across 30+ not-to-be-missed culinary experiences, this festival will be home to a music festival, a wine and food festival, long lunches, degustations, premium pairings, community markets and free events. Taste Great Southern is the heart of Western Australian food & wine!
Come and enjoy a decadent array of sweet & savoury treats showcasing the Sandalwood nuts during an afternoon high tea. Meet the producer of the Sandalwood Nuts, Santaleuca and a local Indigenous Elder to learn more about their story.
West Cape Howe will be showcasing a selection of their beautiful local wines to taste during the feast.
No doubt inspiration will be flowing so you will have some Sandalwood nuts and recipes to take home and get cooking!
Ticket includes:
- Information sessions from a local Indigenous Elder, Mt Romance and Santaleuca Sandalwood Nut producers.
- Complimentary recipes and samples of Sandalwood nuts products to take home.
- A selection of small bites both sweet and savoury
- Tastings of West Cape Howe wines
- Tea & coffee options
Tickets are $45 per person. Click here to purchase.
For more information on the event, please contact The Sandalwood Factory
on 08 9845 6817 or albany.shop@mtromance.com.au
Albany Monthly Art Series
Thank you to Ilona from Totally Tangled Designs who showcased her beautiful intricate illustrations as part of our monthly art series for November. Our space looked wonderful. We look forward to sharing Anita and Jeff’s work from A&J Impact Photography this month. To exhibit as part of this series please contact us on 08 9845 6888 to find out more!
Until next time,
The Mt Romance team.