Rural Youth Movement of SA

The Rural Youth movement in South Australia emerged as a response to the specific needs and interests of young people living in rural areas and involved in agriculture.

It provided a platform for social interaction, skill development, leadership opportunities, and a sense of community for these individuals. The movement aimed to equip young people with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their agricultural pursuits while fostering personal growth and social connections.

The movement traces its roots back to the early 20th century when several agricultural organisations started forming youth sections to engage young farmers and rural residents. These sections eventually evolved into standalone rural youth organisations.

Early beginnings

Post World War 1 there was a shortage of food and fibre to meet the growing population demands in Australia and overseas countries.

In SA, the Agricultural Bureau had been operating successfully since 1888, and the Women’s Agricultural Bureau since 1917. These organisations in collaboration with the SA Government established a junior section that would eventually become the Rural Youth Movement. This initially appears to have occurred opportunistically from the late 1920s.

In 1939, the Minister of Agriculture approved the formation of junior branches of the Agricultural Bureau, to bridge the gap between students leaving school and being able to effectively contribute to the activities of Agricultural Bureau Branches. The objective of this movement was to teach young boys of school age the technical aspects of agriculture.

Establishment

In 1950, the State Government Cabinet requested that the Minister of Agriculture establish a provisional council to explore the possibilities of a Junior Farmer Organisation. The council was chaired by:

• the Director of Agriculture, Dr Allan Callaghan
• senior representatives of the Advisory Board of Agriculture, the Women’s Agricultural Bureau and the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society
• the editor of the Chronicle and the Adelaide Stock and Station Journal
• the General Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Mr Peter Angove was appointed as the first General Supervisor in December 1951. The title of the position changed on a number of occasions and was held by AJ Hooper, PD Guerin, and Mrs J Bouwer.

Reflecting the importance of this movement, advisors for Rural Youth were appointed with the total number of Department of Agriculture members increasing to five for the period 1967 to 1972.

Objectives

Rural Youth Clubs were established, with their role defined as: 'A society of young people who meet together to enjoy themselves and at the same time, learn something of their country and the joy that comes from helping others. The Club caters for boys and girls from both the city and the country, and its aims are to interest all members in rural affairs. The movement is non-sectorial and non-political.'

There was to be junior clubs for 11–15 year olds and senior clubs for 16–21 year olds.

Club membership

The first two junior clubs and the first senior clubs were formed in 1952. By 1953, the Department of Agriculture had three advisers working with Rural Youth and in 1954, another adviser was established at Mount Gambier in the South East. In 1955 the age for membership was raised from 22 to 25 years.

In 1956 a State Committee was formed to allow Rural Youth branches to have a greater involvement in running the movement. Within a decade there was pressure from the membership to have a greater say and influence on political issues. As the movement was to be non-sectarian and non-political this pressure caused some difficulty for the movement.

In 1963 there were 33 junior clubs with 1,130 members and 81 senior clubs with 3,560 members. In 1967, the number of advisory personnel serving the movement was increased to five.

In 1971 the Department of Agriculture made a formal request to the Department of Education to transfer the Rural Youth Movement responsibilities to Education. This was refused in 1973, at which time the Department of Agriculture commenced reducing the level of support provided.

By 1976 the advisory support to the Rural Youth Movement had effectively ended and the membership declined rapidly. The level of interest and support is evident from the following numbers:

In 1979 the Rural Youth Council was reformed which provided a period of stability. By 1990 there were 31 clubs and 412 members while at the time of the review undertaken by Heath in 1995, the numbers had declined to 160 members.

The Rural Youth Council stopped operating in 1993. In 1995 the SA Rural Youth Movement moved their head office from Primary Industries and Resources SA to the South Australian Farmers Federation. The Movement went into recess a few years later.

Through an application to the Supreme Court in 2008, the Rural Youth Movement of SA was officially wound up by Illes Sawyer, Lawyers. The remaining funds of $40,000 were dispersed to the Agricultural Bureau after a tender process was carried out by the Supreme Court appointed Liquidator Hugh McPharlin, FCA - Partner, Edwards Marshall Pty Ltd - Chartered Accountants.

Activities

The types of activities led by the Movement included overseas exchanges, camps and tours, competitions, a Royal Show Ball and frequent media articles and exhibits.

Over at least four decades the greatest legacy from the Rural Youth movement was the training programs delivered by the Department in development of leadership skills and in public speaking and debating.

Australian Council of Rural Youth

At the same time the SA Rural Youth structure was established in 1951, the Australian Council of Rural Youth was formed. This representative body of State Councils organised national conferences and established a Rural Youth Foundation to provide:

• further education for advisors
• funds for social research.

It established strong collaborations with similar organisations in the UK, US and NZ. The movements from all four countries arranged annual exchange programs where young people from SA would visit these countries and incoming people were hosted by SA families.

Membership of the Australian Council was drawn primarily from advisors from the state departments of agriculture.

The national body declined in the late 1960s due to a lack of public support and funding and was closed by the late 1980s.

Acknowledgements

Prepared by Don Plowman, February 2024.

The contributions by Deane Crabb, Neil Andrew, Lesley Tideman, Lib Hylton-Keele and Meg Partridge are acknowledged.