From Burra to Penola, the top 10 towns vying for the title of South Australia’s Agricultural Town of Year 2024 have been selected with thousands of votes cast from around the state.
What’s the Agricultural Town of the Year Award?
This Award, an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), shines a spotlight on the regional communities that are excelling in agriculture and making a real difference in their regions. It’s a celebration of innovation, resilience, leadership, and community spirit in places where agriculture is the backbone of the region.
Top 10 announced
Thank you to the thousands of people who nominated and voted over the past few weeks to help decide the top 10 towns vying for the title of South Australia’s Agricultural Town of Year 2024:
- Burra
- Bute
- Cummins
- Eudunda
- Gladstone
- Jamestown
- Kapunda
- Kimba
- Laura
- Penola
Each town will now complete their written submission, which will then be assessed by an independent judging panel, to find the South Australian town that best promotes and supports agriculture.
Is your town the next Wudinna?
Mypolonga, Kimba, Pinnaroo, and Cleve have previously been crowned Agricultural Town of the Year and now proudly display a sign in recognition of their achievement at the entrance of their towns for all to see. But it’s Wudinna, last year’s winner, that really demonstrates how you don’t need to be a big or well-known town to win the Award.
Known affectionately as “wonderful Wudinna”, this Eyre Peninsula town exemplifies what it means to be an Ag Town champion. Despite its small population of around 600, Wudinna plays a pivotal role in the region’s agricultural landscape. Around 44 per cent of its workforce is employed in the sector, and a remarkable 74 per cent of the town’s exports are agricultural products.
But Wudinna’s agricultural prowess extends far beyond its farms. It’s a centre for research innovation, home to the farmer-owned AIR EP, which leads low rainfall research and development, and Eyre Peninsula Cooperative Bulk Handling (EPCBH), which supports grain storage, handling, and supply chain logistics.
Schooling the town’s future
Wudinna Area School emphasises agricultural education, ensuring future generations have the skills needed to thrive in the industry. With around 200 students ranging from Reception to Year 12, the school is also home to a menagerie of animals which act as learning aids.
Nat Phillips has been an art teacher at Wudinna Area School since 2009 and is proud of the quality of the education it provides. “We have a versatile and dedicated cohort of teachers and we wear many hats – a common thing in remote or rural schools,” Nat says. “But I think too, we have really great relationships with the students here. “We strive to personalise their learning when possible by negotiating and tailoring academic outcomes to meet their needs.”
“We’ve got a well-rounded curriculum between both academic subjects and extracurricular activities,” she says. This year they’re taking students to compete in Australian HPV Super Series (Pedal Prix) events. There are also opportunities for older students to be involved in the Royal Adelaide Show via the school’s agricultural program.”
Nat says that, here at Wudinna, there are fantastic agricultural learning opportunities but also a diverse range of other options if kids want to explore other interests. “And if we can’t deliver it face-to-face, there’s open access learning available,” she says.
“Wudinna’s like a magnet”
Nat Phillips was born in Wudinna Hospital, and grew up just 27kms away at Warramboo before moving to the city to study teaching at Adelaide University. She eventually came back to settle in Wudinna to pursue her career and start a family. As well as teaching the town’s kids, she now has two of her own and says the tight-knit, peaceful community of Wudinna is a great place to raise them.
“Wudinna’s like a magnet. People might go away for a while, but they almost always come back. It’s definitely not a dying community at all. If anything, it’s a place where a lot of young families are choosing to live for its relaxed lifestyle.”
Weathering change together
As is the case for many agricultural towns, resilience is Wudinna’s middle name. The community actively plans for adversity, ensuring they’re prepared for challenges like drought. Additionally, the town has embraced tourism, drawing visitors with its unique attractions like the town’s “big thing” – the 70-tonne granite Australian Farmer sculpture, a testament to the town’s agricultural heritage and the region’s granite industry.
And Wudinna’s future looks bright, too – this year, the town held its inaugural Granite Rocks music festival, a massive success that attracted a whole lot of visitors. Nat says it was “unreal” and shows how much the local community is capable of.
What the award means for a town
The Agricultural Town of the Year win “caused a lot of excitement and feeling” in the Wudinna community, says Nat. The school and its students were involved in Wudinna’s winning submission, so seeing the kids’ thrilled reaction and pride was a true highlight. “It was great that they had that opportunity, and that they got to be part of it,” she says.
What happens next
An independent judging panel will visit the three finalist towns. The judging panel will assess towns on their community engagement, leadership in agriculture, resilience, and innovation. The Agricultural Town of the Year winner will be announced at the South Australian Regional Showcase Awards celebration evening, to be held on Thursday 24 October, 2024.
For more information and to vote, click here.
