Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith co-founded Streaky Bay Distillers in 2022 with her husband Tony, turning a family tragedy into a purposeful craft distillery on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Before distilling, Rebecca worked as a Remote Area Nurse, delivering healthcare to Australia’s most isolated communities—a career that took her across the continent’s farthest reaches. She grew up on the Eyre Peninsula, left to see the world, and returned to raise her children, only to experience a devastating loss that forced a complete life reassessment. That experience led her and Tony to enroll in the University of Adelaide’s Foundations of Distilling course and commit to building something together. They sourced a 300-litre Australian copper pot still—named Cyrel after a lost family member—and blended Rebecca’s creative flair (her lino prints became the bottle labels) with Tony’s technical diving expertise. Their distillery prioritizes sustainability: solar power, water recycling, and local botanicals including abalone shell, saltbush, and citrus. Their spirits have earned national acclaim, notably a gold medal for Sister Gin at the 2025 Australian Gin Awards and silvers at both the Australian Gin Awards and Melbourne International Spirits Competition. Streaky Bay Distillers embodies the ethos "Small Town, Big Spirits"—a celebration of home that captures the rugged character of South Australia’s wild west coast in every bottle.