FLOORPLAN... Stage one (shown in green) of the Yorke Peninsula Field Days rebuilding project is complete, while work will start this month on stage two (yellow).
MAKING NEWS... YPFD president Greg Stevens with Michael Ellis, managing director of the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, which is the major sponsor of the 2025 Yorke Peninsula Field Days.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS... Field Days president Greg Stevens with Ahrens Rural sales manager for South Australia and Western Australia, Graham Vardy. The new office is housed in an Ahrens silo and the planned adjoining function centre will be built to match.
SUPPORTERS... Some of the YPFD committee members, Agricultural Bureaus and Women in Agriculture and Business representatives, and staff members at the opening of the new office complex. Back: Martin Kenny, Bevan Oster, Paul Correll, Tim Millard, Annabelle Norton, Rachael Ayles, Craig Woodward, Luke Graham, Bruce Philbey, Adrian Mason, Scott Mercer, Michael Ellis, Brenton Drewett: front: Rosalie Pearce, Dulcie Barker, Greg Stevens, Geoff Lamshed, Peter Anderson.
OPENING... Scott Mercer, dealer principal of YPFD building complex sponsor Larwoods Ag Services, with Michael Ellis, managing director of the Yorke Peninsula Country Times, the major sponsor of the 2025 Yorke Peninsula Field Days. Both are also community members of the YPFD committee.
OFFICIAL... Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis cuts the ribbon to open the new office complex.
OPENING... Cunliffe Women in Agriculture and Business life members Dulcie Barker, Helen Colliver, Rosemary Browning and Helen Eden are all YPFD volunteers. Mrs Barker is also a YPFD life member.
OPENING... YPFD building complex sponsor Hallett Group was represented at the opening by chief executive Kane Salisbury, pictured with field days committee member Adrian Mason.
OPENING... Country Getaways is one of the many local businesses which sponsored the new YPFD building complex. With Country Getaways business development manager Nicole Page and owner/manager Helly Easther-Smith is Cynthia Axford (middle). Mrs Axford and her husband Allan also sponsored the complex.
OPENING... YPFD president Greg Stevens (middle) with representatives of major YPFD building complex sponsor, Australian Grain Technologies. They are AGT communications officer David Morgan and South Australia variety support manager Brad Koster.
OPENING... Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis with YPFD president Greg Stevens.
OPENING... YPFD life member Terry Gill and his sister Jenny Richardson, who is a member of Cunliffe Women in Agriculture and Business.
OPENING... Building complex sponsors Cynthia and Allan Axford, of Bute. Allan is a life member of YPFD.
OPENING... Agricultural Bureau of South Australia president Bevan Oster (middle) with AW Vater and Co general manager Jill Vater and operations manager Tania Nicholls. The company sponsored the YPFD building complex.
OPENING... Arthurton Women’s Ag Bureau members and children at the official opening, back: Annabelle Norton, Tara Graham with Alby, Hannah Oster, Mel Kenny; front: George, Daisy, Eddie, Jesse and Annabelle.
LONG-AWAITED new office facilities for Yorke Peninsula Field Days were officially opened last week at an event attended by about 100 representatives of sponsors, field days life members and volunteers.
The new complex at the Paskeville site replaces the temporary office used by committee members and staff since the permanent building was destroyed by arson in 2019, causing $150,000 in damage.
Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis cut the ribbon at the opening on Wednesday, July 2.
“It has been a real triumph of perseverance for the YPFD committee and all the Agricultural Bureaus that support them to get this (office) in place,” Mr Ellis said.
“It is a truly special thing to drive past and see it take pride of place at the site.”
He said the biennial field days event delivered significant economic benefits to Yorke Peninsula and it held a special place in the region’s social calendar.
Prominently located at the YPFD site, the new complex fronts Copper Coast Highway and includes an office, boardroom and separate toilets.
Constructed from corrugated metal silos, the building design reflects the importance and success of the grain industry on Yorke Peninsula.
Built for $672,000, the office is the first stage of a major expansion project at the site.
Support for the project included a $20,000 donation from Australian Grain Technologies in 2022, along with contributions from numerous businesses and local farmers through a sponsorship program launched earlier this year.
Sponsorship levels ranged from $1000 to $10,000.
Stage two of the project begins this month after the recent announcement of a $400,000 Enabling Infrastructure Program grant from the South Australian Government.
Plans for the second stage include a function centre, commercial kitchen, covered walkway and enclosed courtyard, all connected to the new office via a hallway.
Estimated to cost about $680,000, it will match the first stage in design, using the same silo structures from SA company Ahrens.
Construction is expected to be completed in time for this year’s event, scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, to Thursday, October 1, although internal fit-outs may not be finished.
Yorke Peninsula Country Times managing director Michael Ellis said he was pleased the comnpany had been selected as the major sponsor for the 2025 event.
“Our involvement is recognition of the pre-eminence of farming for our region’s economy, and the broad appeal of the field days to locals and visitors alike,” he said.
“We are very proud to sponsor our fourth consecutive YP Field Days event.”
