South Australia has many great regional and rural towns, with tourism and agriculture the backbone of their communities.
To celebrate, the Agricultural Town of the Year Award recognises those towns that excel in agricultural practices, helping to strengthen their region and support a vibrant and resilient community.
The three finalist towns - Bordertown, Eudunda and Wudinna - will be visited by a panel of judges, to determine who will take out the 2023 award, now in its fifth year.
The winner will be announced at the Regional Showcase Awards Celebration, on Thursday 9 November.
We take a closer look at each finalist:
Bordertown
Located in the state's east and bordering Victoria, Bordertown was established as town in 1852, during the goldrush era. The birthplace of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, the town is in known as the cultural centre of Tatiara District Council.
Mayor Liz Goossens said the town thrived on agriculture, such as sheep, hemp and seed.
“The diversity in Tatiara would be hard to match in other regional places," she said.
"It’s a safe and welcoming area with good infrastructure and great sporting facilities that showcases agriculture in every aspect.
“We’re not the number one tourist attraction, but there's beauty in this rural area.”
Eudunda
Declared as a town in 1870, Eudunda is known as the ‘Valley of Hidden Treasures'. Located in the state's mid-north, it is the birthplace of Colin Thiele, the author best known for Storm Boy.
Goyder Regional Council Deputy Mayor Debbie Hibbert said the award would be of "great significance" to the town's farmers, agricultural businesses, and the wider community.
“Eudunda has always had so much to offer visitors," she said.
"We have a very strong agricultural history and its evident when you drive through our town, which is full of historic charm."
She said high on visitors' lists were "our beautiful gardens, the Family Heritage Gallery, silo murals, pub and bakery”.
Wudinna
This town on the Eyre Peninsula is the largest town in the Wudinna District Council. Nearby natural attractions include Mount Wudinna - Australia's second largest monolith - and the Gawler Ranges National Park.
Wudinna District Council Mayor Eleanor Scholz said the community had been working hard to transition from a ‘drive through’ to a ‘stop by’ town.
“Agriculture is the core of our region," she said.
"It would be a real celebration winning this award, especially for businesses and community groups who support our agriculture industry.”
Ms Scholz recommended visitors to the town stop in at the "fantastic" Wudinna Bakery.
"The vanillas slices are infamous in the area and are known to caravanners and travellers who purposefully stop to try them,” she said.
