Lillymans Bros Factory Moree

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Moree, as Australia's artesian water capital, has a soft drink factory on Anne Street opposite the Aquatic Centre in what is either South Moree or formally just Moree. It was easy to see why for those who try Lillymans Bros drinks it becomes a staple and something to promote or talk about. Yet I chose to see them as a best-kept secret, especially as almost unbelievably they don't appear to have a website although a Facebook site is definitely published. As soft drink manufacturers they are rich in the basis of a good soft drink - the water. But they filter the water using osmosis and there are details to that famous process, but, I couldn't record the anecdotes of the shopkeeper at the factory nor was it easy to find details online. My impression is because it's a one hundred and twenty- five-year-old business, it's like that for a reason and my fortune was to enjoy the drinks, so four soft drinks, two from a different bottler called Rice's from nearby Bourke ( as seen in the last photo in this review).

Firstly, thanks to Michael's Takeaway adjacent to the Baths Motel on the same street as the factory entrance, for selling these at minimal extra cost when compared to factory prices. When ordering a delicious burger I saw the Lillymans lemonade and noticed it was flavoured with the right sweetness and bitterness, and, as I eventually found out from the factory shopkeeper - Lillymans Bros drinks use water thoroughly filtered but originally is artesian water from the Great Artesian Basin. Of course, ordered the Blue Heaven the next day and photographed the pouring cleaning any spill effectively.



Of the factory, I took this photo at the Aquatic Centre - on Anne Street Moree.



And a collage of the factory shop is included to show that the factory has many varieties including cordial and Vaqua still water:



And here is my purchased drinks selection - some were Rice's from Bourke, some Lillymans Bros and one is Lillymans Vaqua still water.



The Rice's cola tasted like a sweet Chinotto, while the Lillymans ginger beer was mild not sharp, Lillymans pineapple tasted very British, so not at all like tropical fresh fruit and the Rice's mandarin was fruity and wholesome, probably the best, but I haven't tried the orange squash by Lillymans but four 330 ml bottles plus a bottle of water sold for $14.00, so it was $3.00 a bottle of soft drink and $4.50 for the 750 ml bottles hence encouraging bulk buying. However, for my tasting, I bought small yet varied. I rinsed my glass with tap water after each tasting and took a sip of tap water to assist the tasting.

The artesian water of Moree is in good supply and is treated at a facility for drinking. Hence, Moree residents drink treated water originally from the Great Artesian Basin. A massive question not without controversy is whether the water is healthier. High in minerals and alkalinity, I noticed even Moree's tap water was useful to me, and given water is so important in life including human life, having mineral-rich and alkaline water constantly consumed was an interesting experience. Like Lillymans Bros, the water has been consumed for over 100 years, but I find it interesting to ponder what a longer stay in Moree would do for my health. Don't forget the aquatic centre uses hot pools made of artesian water with good supervision which is across Anne Street from the Lillymans Bros factory. Just regarding South Moree in particular, almost unbelievably stayed in Moree for three days and never crossed the river. South Moree was more than sufficient and beside the railway station. The train trip from Werris Creek Railway Station to Moree was delightful, with stops in fascinating towns and a flat straight track all the way across seemingly endless plains.

Note that drinks don't require inverting prior to use and all photos used in this review were by the author in August 2023.

Links related to this review linked below:

Official Moree Plains Tourist Information Website

Moree Aquatic Centre official pages

Lillymans Bros official Facebook

My Moree Facebook page - running for six years and over 8k likes, ideal for social media on Moree.

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