In 1865 South Australia had half the land in Australia under wheat and although yields were lower than in other colonies, in good seasons 50% of the Australian harvest came from South Australia.

Wool made a few South Australians very rich in status and assets and in the 1860s some pastoralists secured large freehold estates on choice grazing lands in the Mid North and the South East.

Integrated with a now well organised rail system throughout South Australia, wool and grain made its way to many minor ports and from there was distributed throughout the colonies and abroad.

Depletion of fertility in the shallow soils and the introduction of the Merino breed from New South Wales heralded dramatic changes in farming practices in the fledgling colony.