Structure and leadership

The following series of articles maps the development of the South Australian Department of Agriculture from its early founding days. It is structured around the major achievements of its directors during the period 1904 to 1992.

Department of Agriculture: 1836–1992

• Nineteenth century beginnings
• Skilling the Department's scientific officers
• Early directors:
  • William Angus, Director 1904–c1910
  • William Lowrie, Director 1911–1914
• The Perkins era 1914–c1936
• The Spafford era 1936–c1949
• The Callaghan era 1949–c1959
• The Strickland years 1959–c1969
• The Irving years 1970–c1975
• The McColl years 1975–1985
• The Radcliffe era 1985–1992

Further reading

Annual reports dating back to the 1880s, published by the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Minister of Agriculture, were reviewed for this series of articles. The reports are held in the Woolhouse Library at Waite Institute, accessible via the Barr Smith Library of the University of Adelaide.

The following publications include useful related information:

• Callaghan A.R. and Millington A.J. 1956. The Wheat Industry in Australia. Angus and Robertson.
• Daniels J. (Ed) 1983. Roseworthy Agricultural College: A Century of Service, Roseworthy College.
• Edgeloe V.A. 1984. The Waite Agriculture Research Institute: The First Fifty Years, 1924-1974. Waite Institute.
• Humphreys R. 2002. Allan Callaghan – A Life. Melbourne University Press.
• Tideman A.L. 1994. The Medic Fields. SAGRIC International.
• Zeitz L D 2013.  The Waite.  A social and scientific history of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute. Barr Smith Press.

Acknowledgements

This series was researched and written by Peter Trumble, a retired Deputy Director General of the Department of Agriculture. The McColl Era article was co-written by Dr Donald Plowman, former Deputy Chief Executive, who also wrote the Radcliffe Era article.

Both authors are indebted to the executive officer support provided by Ms Rosemary Hawke, in preparation many of the articles. The authors were also assisted by Arthur Tideman, other members of the History of Agriculture Working Group, Tony Davidson, and Geoff Thomas.

Special thanks to Barry Philp, retired Director, Horticulture Industry Development, for his capability in searching archives and providing information.

The fine work of John Love, former State Archivist, was the most fertile source of material for these articles, especially for the period 1836–1914. Read John Love's unpublished manuscript, written in 1987: Determined to Improve the Land: A History of the Department of Agriculture (PDF 329.1 KB).