In 1839 the South Australian Agricultural Society was formed to encourage and promote the interests of South Australia in areas of agriculture, pastoral, horticulture, and industrial interests. It became a very progressive and influential body, filling a research and communication role which was later serviced by the Department of Agriculture and today by Primary Industries & Resources SA (PIRSA).
In his book Sharing The Good Earth, 175 Years Of Influence And Vision, Rob Linn writes "Behind the Society's one hundred and seventy-five years of activity is a generosity of spirit that has made its activities a cornerstone of South Australian life. It has adapted, rejuvenated and responded to the pressures of the outside world, yet it has also led so much of the State's creative thinking in regards to agricultural industries. The vision and influence exerted by the Society on South Australia is as evident today as it was in its early years of the nineteenth century. Still relevant in all respects, the Society continues to bring urban people in contact with rural industries - it is a meeting point. In its liaison with Government, the media and other community organisations it stands true to its rural industries and all things South Australian". |
