Which products became South Australia’s early major exports after the colony recovered?

After the colony of South Australia recovered from its early economic setbacks, its exports were dominated by three primary products: copper, wheat, and wool.12

This resource-based growth was driven by significant mining discoveries, such as the rich copper deposits found at Burra in 1845, as well as later finds at Moonta and Wallaroo. Meanwhile, the agricultural sector thrived as South Australian wheat supplied markets in the eastern colonies, and pastoralists expanded into drier lands to support the production of wool, which benefited from buoyant world prices. This reliance on primary production allowed the colony to lead Australia in economic growth for several decades until the early 1880s.12