Our History

Back in 1887, an ambitious printer from England named Albert Molineux put forth a groundbreaking idea: establishing an Agricultural Bureau in South Australia. And it wasn't long before his vision became a reality.

On the 27th of February 1888, the Government embraced Molineux's suggestion. The first meeting of the Central Agricultural Bureau of South Australia was held on the 10th of April that same year. The Bureau was formed with the primary aim of advising the Minister of Agriculture on farming matters and serving as the governing body for the Agricultural Bureau. At its inception, the Central Bureau consisted of 10 dedicated members.

Before the establishment of the Central Agricultural Bureau, several local agricultural associations and farmers' clubs throughout South Australia had been established since the state's inception in 1836. However, the Central Bureau was unique in that it worked to encourage the creation of local Bureau Branches across the region.

Within its first year of operation, the Central Bureau supported founding a dozen local branches in rural areas such as Mannum, Millicent, Nuriootpa, Stansbury, Burra and Gumeracha. Today, nearly 1300 members are spread across the state's 60 active branches, including the still-thriving Millicent and Nuriootpa (now known as the Angaston branch).