The culmination of The Advertiser’s For Pete Sake campaign has brought some light to our farmers doing it tough

Peterborough has been ravaged by drought, but on Monday there was a flood of joy as The Advertiser’s Peter Party came to town.

He’s an Adelaide Crows legend and a South Australian treasure – but in the front bar of the Peterborough Hotel on Monday, Tony Modra was pulling beers and trading tales with farmers about the devastating drought that’s crippling the state.

As The Advertiser’s Peter Party raged on in the Mid North town on Monday, country-born Modra, who owns a farming property on the Fleurieu Peninsula, lent an empathetic ear to the district’s struggling farmers.

“It’s been hard for farmers,” said the Crows veteran, who booted 588 goals during his AFL career.

“People are saying how dry it is statewide. On my property at Waitpinga, the dams are pretty dry. Some farmers have got bores that are starting to go brackish, even down on the Fleurieu.”

Modra – who pulled free West End beers for the partygoers – brought his star power to Peterborough, where a never-ending line of fans queued for a chance to take a photo with the Crows great.

Adelaide Crows legend Tony Modra pouring free cold ones at the Peterborough Party. Picture: Ben Clark

Farmer Anthony Malycha enjoys a drink with Modra at the Peter Party. Picture: Ben Clark

The Advertiser’s street party – thrown as a show of support for the drought-ravaged district and bringing a spirit-lifting end to The Advertiser’s For Pete’s Sake campaign – drew a huge crowd of 1000 locals and well-known South Australians, including hotel tsar Peter Hurley and former Adelaide Oval curator Les Burdett.

The prized Sheffield Shield – which is back in the state after South Australia broke a 29-year title drought – was just as popular, with locals lining up to take a glimpse at the 133-year-old trophy.

Nursing a beer in the front bar as he chatted to farmers, Mr Burdett was praying for rain for the parched region.

Les Burdett with the Sheffield Shield at the Peterborough Party. Picture: Ben Clark

“I just wish I could have brought the rain with me,” said the world-famous greenkeeper. “It’s dry as a bone. It’s such a serious situation.

“Looking after Adelaide Oval, I felt as though I was a farmer anyway. Everything I did was governed by the prevailing weather. There’s nothing we can do right now, all I can do is pray for rain.”

For Anthony Malycha, whose family has been farming in the district since 1874, the Peter Party was a happy reprieve from his upsetting reality, which has seen him cut the number of sheep he runs on his property outside of Peterborough to just one-third.

“Since 2017, it’s been very tough,” said the 56-year-old. “ This year’s been so difficult, it’s been so widespread. We’ve been dry here for five or six years.”

Peter Malinauskas with Mary Zimmerman and Heather Parker. Picture: Ben Clark

Gathered with fellow farmers outside the Peterborough Hotel, Mr Malycha talked lamb prices with the Premier. “When the price comes down, we don’t see that at the butcher,” said Mr Malinauskas, as his new friends nodded in agreement.

Bridget Woods, 64, who helps run two properties at Black Rock, north of the town, and Whiteswell, was “blown away” by the chance to chat to the Premier and take a break from her struggles.

“It’s lovely and it’s a little light relief. It says that we’ve been heard,” she said.

“If it wasn’t for The Advertiser, none of this would have happened.”

With a plate piled high with food donated by state providers and cooked by volunteers from the local Rotary and Lions Clubs, Mr Malinauskas made a beeline for Heather Parker’s table to chat with the Peterborough History Group member. Ms Parker, a retired teacher, said she was a little stunned when the Premier took his seat next to her.

“I thought ‘Oh my goodness’,” said Ms Parker, who hosts a fortnightly history show on community radio 5PBS.

Allen Smith, David Chambers, Denis Polonka with Rotary Club of Peterborough SA at the Peterborough Party. Picture: Ben Clark

Looking around the overflowing marquee, the history buff said she thought the Peter Party would become another great chapter of Peterborough’s “grand story”. “This will be historic,” she said.

The Peter Party was made possible by The Advertiser Foundation, Australian Hotels Association SA and a host of local businesses that provided logistics and food. The Advertiser’s editor, Gemma Jones, described it as the “illustration” of the newspaper’s motto “We’re for you”.

“When you are doing it tough, we are here for you,” she told the crowd.

A passionate Anna Moeller, chief executive of the AHASA was sorry she “couldn’t bring the rain”. “But what we could bring was a bit of respite,” she said. “You do it hard but God you do it well.”

As the party came to a close, Modra continued to pour the free West End beers for grateful drinkers.

“Their eyes light up when I tell them it’s my shout,” he said. “People just love it. I’m glad we could put a smile on their faces.”

Originally published as The culmination of The Advertiser’s For Pete Sake campaign has brought some light to our farmers doing it tough