Pleystowe is a rural village located west of Mackay. The area got its name from cotton and sugar farms that were present in the area. The sugar-crushing mill in Pleystowe began its operations in 1869 and a few years after, the village was producing the Pleystowe rum using molasses by-products. The cane-growing industry in Pleystowe thrived in the 1890s through independent cane growers.
In 1943, the mothers and wives of servicemen in Pleystowe raised money for food. The excess funds were used for planning fig trees to commemorate their lost loved ones. To this day, the eight fig trees that were planted still stand tall on Eungella Road, which is located near the sugar mill. The sugar mill’s last crushing was in 2008.