Roseworthy Agricultural College

Roseworthy Agricultural College

Roseworthy College in 1926
Established	1883
Location	Roseworthy, South Australia

Roseworthy Agricultural College was an agricultural college in Australia. It was 50 km (31 mi) north of Adelaide and 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Roseworthy town. It was the first agricultural college in Australia, established in 1883. It is now part of the University of Adelaide.

Roseworthy College was the result of an initiative to develop a model farm. The idea was that the College would be an extension of the University of Adelaide and would be run by a Professor of Agriculture. The connection with the University was dropped and in 1882 John D. Custance took up the directorship and in 1883 the college's Main Building was completed. Custance may have been an effective manager but antagonized powerful politicians, and was sacked. In 1887, William Lowrie was appointed principal. Walter Richard Birks (1886–1960), principal from 1927 to 1932, was a distinguished college alumnus but was forced to resign after students' dissatisfaction culminated in strike action.

In 1936, a full-time Diploma of Oenology was offered. It was taught by Alan R. Hickinbotham and John L. Williams. Another early lecturer was John Fornachon, who did research in bacterial spoilage of fortified wines. Later, Bryce Rankine ran the course.

Research undertaken at the College included use of fertilisers in dryland cropping and a wheat breeding program, the released varieties all bearing the name of a bladed weapon. The graduates of the three faculties – Agriculture, Oenology and Natural Resources – were well regarded and winemaking students were drawn from throughout Australia and New Zealand.

In 1983, the College's centenary publication explained: "The College encompasses approximately 1,200 hectares of land, most of which is used as a teaching and demonstration farm. There are about 500 hectares sown to wheat, barley, oats, oilseed and medic crops, with 10 hectares of orchard, vineyard and vegetable garden. The farm also carries sheep, Poll Shorthorn beef cattle, Jersey and Friesian dairy cattle, pigs, poultry, and representative range of both light and heavy horses, and some Angora goats ... Roseworthy also has a teaching winery (which includes a distillery) of 150 tonnes production capacity ... The College produces a range of table wines, sherries, ports and brandies."