Prior to the creation of the Department of Agriculture in 1902, the South Australian government relied on the Agricultural Bureaux movement (1888) and the research and teaching work at Roseworthy Agricultural College (1882) for the dissemination of information to those people in the agricultural, pastoral and horticultural industries.

Roseworthy Agricultural College was headed up by a Professor of Agriculture who taught the sciences of analytical chemistry, physiology and agriculture to help farmers overcome many of the problems they faced. This model farm of up to 1000 acres near Adelaide gave ‘descriptive lessons’ on soil, plants, trees, animals, manures and machinery to the pupils attending the classes of the Professor; students also took part in manual work on the farm.

Under the Department, experimental farms and agriculture centres were established to encourage better farming methods, while regulations and the assistance offered to farmers were intended to improve their work.