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Forces Behind South Australia's Unusual Structural Changes Since 1840

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  • Kym Anderson

Abstract

The agricultural sector's share of GDP in growing economies typically declines but, for a century from the early 1850s, Australia's did not. That trend is most evident for the former colony and now State of South Australia (SA). Moreover, that share for SA has been almost flat since 1980 as well, along with the agricultural sector's share of SA exports. This paper seeks to shed light on the forces behind the unusual evolution of these sectoral shares for SA both up to 1950 and since 1980. The extensive time series data compiled for this paper suggest various partial explanations. For 1850-1950 they include the huge arable land area per worker, clearly defined and enforced property rights in settled rural areas as the frontier of European settlement expanded, the absence of a need to do any processing of the main 19th century exports (copper, wool and wheat), a strong public agricultural research and extension system, and the absence of major mining booms after the copper finds in the 1840s and 1860s.

Suggested Citation

  • Kym Anderson, 2026. "Forces Behind South Australia's Unusual Structural Changes Since 1840," Departmental Working Papers 2026-02, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2026-02
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. C. Peter Timmer, 2009. "A World Without Agriculture: The Structural Transformation in Historical Perspective," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 43120, September.
    14. Kym Anderson, 2025. "Globalisation and national commodity cycles: The case of wine in Australia," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 347-372, February.
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    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F63 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Economic Development
    • N47 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Africa; Oceania
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade

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