At that time Australia did not have the thriving craft spirits industry it does today, despite the abundance of local ingredients available. So Cameron spent 16 years researching and honing his knowledge on distilling, while working as an accountant and later a lawyer. In 2004 Cameron relocated his young family to Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, after identifying it as having all of the essential elements to start his distillery dream. His motivation right from day one was to create a craft spirit house that could represent Australia as a world-class producer, plus it also offered an opportunity to be creative and do something he is passionate about. The very first Great Southern Distilling Co distillation was on Christmas Eve in 2005, from a 150m2 space in the Albany Small Business incubator. His first single malt whisky was then released in May 2008, the first (legally) produced in Western Australia and the 4th Australia-wide.