The Maryborough Disctrict was one of the first cane growing areas in Queensland. The first cane grown in Maryborough was in the garden of Baddow House by Edgar Thomas Aldridge. The first sugar manufactured in the district was in 1862 when John Buhot demonstrated sugar making using cane grown on John Eaton's plantation "Rose Hill Estate".

Following the success of this demonstration, a number of juice mills and plantations were established along Tinana Creek and the Mary River.  At one stage there were over 300 growers and three dozen juice mills. The Yengarie meat boiling down works was converted in 1866 to a sugar refinery and rum distillery using raw juice from the small mills being established throughout the district.

The Maryborough Sugar Factory began in 1886 as a juice mill in the Island Plantation area. Following major flooding in the Mary River in 1893, the decision was made to relocate the mill to a "flood free" site 2 km from Maryborough and to upgrade the mill to produce raw sugar.  Production started in 1895 and has continued every year since. With the completion of the Maryborough Sugar Factory, the juice era ended and the Yengarie refinery closed down.

The Maryborough Sugar Factory Limited is a listed public company.