Story
No place like home
words Todd Kuchel
PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN KRÜGER
Some of Carla Wiese-Smith’s fondest memories as a child were spent at her grandparents’ farm in Williamstown. So vividly, Carla recalls the precious times of that property and thinking she was going to live there forever – much to her family’s amusement.
Having attended primary school in the Barossa, Carla always considered herself a Barossa girl. It was, however, during her years at Birdwood High School that she found her niche, which was cows and horses.
“It took a while to find my thing,” Carla said with a chuckle. “I played netball and other sports, but it wasn’t my passion. It took a few years, but being pushed out of my comfort zone at Birdwood enabled me to find cows, and that changed the course of my life.”
When Carla finished high school, she got a job as a ringer (jillaroo) at Anna Creek Station, between Oodnadatta and Marree, which at six million acres was one of the largest stations in the world at that time.
“It was fantastic and really good for my independence,” Carla shares. “It was a culture shock, going from the Barossa to the desert, but I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. It was really grounding and just forced me to rely on myself to a degree.”
Following an injury, Carla returned home and went straight into university to begin studying to be a veterinarian – but she soon decided university was not for her.
“I loved the hands-on stuff,” Carla shares. “People who know me, know I just like getting in and getting things done.”
Carla’s passion was cattle, and she was offered a full-time position with a Shorthorn stud near Naracoorte. She spent several years there, where a shared passion for cattle led her to meet her first partner and fiancé, Scott, who was based in NSW. Because of this, Carla was looking for an excuse to move there, and found a job at The Land newspaper, as a livestock specialist.
The job took her to NSW, but only a month later, Scott – who had been battling leukaemia – passed away following unexpected complications.
“I had uprooted my life to move to the east coast and the reason why I had moved there, I lost very quickly.”
Carla was just 22 at the time.
Fortunately, Carla had, and still has, a wonderful relationship with her first mother-in-law, who supported her through that period.
“I didn’t take much time off work,” Carla explains. “I think I needed to be doing stuff, and I did make a conscious decision not to make any big decisions – like moving back to SA – immediately after he passed away.”
Carla remained in NSW for almost six years at The Land as an agricultural journalist and editor, covering all manner of agricultural issues, from bull sales to agri-politics.
During her time there, Carla was named one of the top 10 young agricultural journalists in the world and received a trip to a conference for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) in South America.
“It was such a great experience,” Carla says. “I still think about it all the time now. Getting to see agriculture and such a rich history, like Machu Picchu, in a completely different part of the world.”
Despite her success in NSW, Carla always wanted to come home.
“It was a big decision to leave Sydney when I did, because my career was really taking off, but I missed home,” Carla shares. “There’s just something about the Barossa that pulls you home.”
Fortunately, Carla had already been approached by a South Australian newspaper.
“I was really fortunate to be working for a company like Rural Press, that had agricultural papers in almost every state, and provided a pathway home,” Carla shares.
At that point, she had also just met her current partner, now fiancé, Michael.
“I told him I wanted to go home, he came back with me, and we’ve been here home for 13 years now,” Carla says beaming.
After a stint as a political reporter and magazine editor at the Stock Journal, Carla was appointed the editor of the Barossa & Light Herald, Northern Argus and The Flinders News, where she worked for a number of years, before being offered a role with the local Member for Schubert in 2018.
Following maternity leave and roles in digital marketing and communications, she returned to the office with the current MP a few years ago.
“There are so many things that make the Barossa special, and I think a lot of it comes down to the people who dedicate their time to all these little things throughout our community.”
- Carla Wiese-Smith
“Working in the EO (electorate office) is a great way of keeping in touch with the community and feeding my own hunger to be involved in the community and achieve positive outcomes for our region,” Carla shares.
Aside from her work and family commitments Carla also assists her dad, Tim Smith in the family business, Tim Smith Wines at Vine Vale.
Adding to an already full calendar, the energetic Carla has also signed on for many additional roles within the community – all of which have been a labour of love.
From 2018 until 2022, Carla was also an elected member of The Barossa Council.
“I found myself there because I find, it’s easy for any of us to sit back and ask why certain decisions are being made (or not), but if you’re going to criticise something, I think you have to be prepared to put your hand up and contribute to make it better. It’s easy to sit on the sidelines, but I believe you need to be part of the solution.”
Carla has also been Chair of the Barossa Vintage Festival since 2024.
“I love the Festival, I think anyone who’s grown up here has such vivid memories, especially of things like the Parade and Ziegenmarkt,” Carla says. “I’ve been convening the Parade since 2018, that was my introduction to being involved in the Festival as a volunteer. It just progressed and here I am.”
In 2023 Carla was invited to become a Baron of Barossa in recognition of her service to the community and media industry. She has also been a member of the Southern Barossa Alliance for several years, holding roles as vice president and publicity officer.
Currently, Carla is vice president of Tanunda Show and has also been co-convenor of the beef cattle section at Mount Pleasant Show for almost 10 years.
“My friend Kevin and I have grown that section to be as big, nearly bigger than the Royal Adelaide Show beef cattle competition,” Carla shares. “It’s something we’re both really proud of.”
Carla has no doubt that in the future she will be involved in even more things throughout the Barossa.
“I like to be busy, obviously,” Carla said with a chuckle. “And I’m not good at saying no. But these are all things I enjoy. I wouldn’t be doing any of it if it didn’t bring me joy. I look at it all as continuing to build on the great work of those before us who made the Barossa the special place we get to call home.”
In a serendipitous turn of events, 10 years ago Carla and Michael purchased her grandparents’ farm at Williamstown, where they now live with their son, Oskar, who is the fifth generation to live in that home.
The family keeps horses on the property along with many chickens. Carla’s Connemara Pony is even the granddaughter of her first childhood pony.
“It’s really nice,” Carla beams. “My grandparents bought that place about 50 years ago. I’ve got very vivid memories growing up here, the place and around us has changed, but it’s always been home.”
Poultry is Carla’s thing these days, and what feeds her passion for showing animals.
“Chickens are much easier to get to shows than cows or horses,” Carla says, smiling.
“There are so many things that make the Barossa special, and I think a lot of it comes down to the people who dedicate their time to all these little things throughout our community.
“It’s not just about the shows or the sporting clubs, it’s all those people just quietly getting on with it which come together to make this a wonderful place to work and raise a family for the generations to come.
“That’s what really drives me every day to contribute to my community. I want it to be a place that in 20 or 30 years, after they’ve been out and explored the world, Oskar and his friends all want to come home to as well.
“There’s a quote by Isaac Newton: ‘if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ I think that’s true of the Barossa. Who we are and what our community is today is only possible because of those who came before us, and I think we all share a responsibility to continue building on the incredible work of our predecessors.”
