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Governor of South Australia
Flag of the Governor of South Australia.svg
Flag of the governor
Badge of the Governor of South Australia (2023-).png
Badge of the governor
Frances Adamson.jpg
Incumbent
Frances Adamson

since 7 October 2021
Viceregal
Style Her Excellency the Honourable
Residence Government House, Adelaide
Seat Adelaide
Appointer Monarch
on the advice of the premier
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
(usually 5 years by convention)
Formation 28 December 1836
First holder Captain John Hindmarsh

The governor of South Australia is a very important person in South Australia. They represent the King, currently King Charles III, in the state. Think of them as the King's local representative. The governor does many of the same jobs for South Australia that the governor-general of Australia does for the whole country.

Usually, the governor follows the advice of the state's elected leader, called the premier of South Australia. This is part of how Australia's government works, known as the Westminster system. However, the governor also has special "reserve powers." These are powers they can use in rare situations, like dismissing the premier if needed.

Since June 2014, all governors, past and present, are given the special title 'The Honourable' for life. The first six governors were in charge from when South Australia was founded in 1836. This was before the state had its own elected government and Parliament of South Australia.

The first governor born in Australia was Major-General Sir James Harrison, appointed in 1968. Many governors since then have also been Australian-born. Sir Mark Oliphant was the first governor born in South Australia (1971). Sir Douglas Nicholls was the first Aboriginal governor (1976).

The current governor is Frances Adamson. She started her role on 7 October 2021. She took over from Hieu Van Le, who was governor from 2014 to 2021. The governor's official home is Government House in Adelaide, the capital city.

What the Governor Does

Before South Australia had its own government, the governor was in charge of making sure laws and policies from the Government of the United Kingdom were followed. Today, the governor's main job is to protect the South Australian Constitution. They also help the Parliament and state government do their work smoothly.

The governor usually uses their powers based on advice from government ministers. This advice is given through a group called the Executive Council. Some of the governor's important powers, used with the Executive Council's advice, include:

  • Choosing and removing ministers.
  • Granting mercy to people who have committed crimes.
  • Creating new rules and announcements under existing laws.
  • Approving new laws passed by Parliament. This is called giving "royal assent."
  • Appointing judges, special investigators, and senior public workers.
  • Ending Parliament sessions and calling for new elections.

The governor also has "reserve powers." These are special powers they can use without the Executive Council's advice. These powers are mainly about appointing or dismissing ministers and Parliament in very unusual situations.

Governor's Flag

The governor of South Australia has a special flag. It looks like the British blue flag, with the Union Flag in the top left corner. On the right side, there is a golden circle with a piping shrike bird. Above the bird is a crown. In 2024, the type of crown shown on the flag changed from a St Edward's Crown to a Tudor Crown.

If this flag is flying at Government House, on a car, or at an event, it means the governor is there.

Past and present flags of the governor

Governor's Awards

The governor of South Australia helps celebrate people who do great things in the community. They present several annual awards:

  • The Governor's Multicultural Awards: These awards celebrate South Australians who help promote different cultures and show how good cultural diversity is for the community.
  • The Governor's Aboriginal Youth Awards: These awards recognise young Aboriginal South Australians, aged 15 to 29. They celebrate young people who are showing great potential or are doing very well in sports, arts, or higher education.
  • The Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools: These awards help young South Australians learn about what it means to be a good citizen in a diverse and democratic society. They started in 2019 for Year 5 students and expanded to include students from Years 5–12 in 2020.

Commendations

The governor also gives special commendations for excellent results in the SACE Year 12 exams. These include:

  • Governor of South Australia Commendation – Excellence Award
  • Governor of South Australia Commendation – Aboriginal Student SACE Excellence Award
  • Governor of South Australia Commendation – Excellence in Modified SACE Award.

List of Governors

Here is a list of the people who have served as governor of South Australia.

No. Portrait Governor Term begin Term end
Governors appointed by King William IV (1830–1837):
1 Governor John Hindmarsh.jpg Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh 28 December 1836 16 July 1838
Governors appointed by Queen Victoria (1837–1901):
2 George Gawler.jpg Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler 17 October 1838 15 May 1841
3 GeorgeEdwardGrey02.jpg Sir George Grey 15 May 1841 25 October 1845
4 Frederick Robe.jpg Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Holt Robe 25 October 1845 2 August 1848
5 Sir Henry Young.jpg Sir Henry Fox Young 2 August 1848 20 December 1854
6 Richard Graves MacDonnell.jpg Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell 8 June 1855 4 March 1862
7 DominickDaly.jpg Sir Dominick Daly 4 March 1862 19 February 1868
8 Sir James Fergusson.jpg The Rt Hon. Sir James Fergusson 16 February 1869 18 April 1873
9 AnthonyMusgrave.jpg Sir Anthony Musgrave 9 June 1873 29 January 1877
10 William Jervois.jpg Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois 2 October 1877 9 January 1883
11 Williamrobinson.jpg Sir William Robinson 19 February 1883 5 March 1889
12 Algernon Keith-Falconer.jpg The Rt Hon. Earl of Kintore 11 April 1889 10 April 1895
13 ThomasFowellBuxton.jpg Sir Fowell Buxton 29 October 1895 29 March 1899
14 Ac.tennyson.jpg The Rt Hon. Lord Tennyson 10 April 1899 17 July 1902
Governors appointed by King Edward VII (1901–1910):
15 GeorgeLeHunte.jpg Sir George Le Hunte 1 July 1903 18 February 1909
16 Day Bosanquet.jpg Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet 18 February 1909 22 March 1914
Governors appointed by King George V (1910–1936):
17 Henry Galway.jpg Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Galway 18 April 1914 30 April 1920
18 William Weigall.jpg Lieutenant Colonel Sir Archibald Weigall 9 June 1920 30 May 1922
19 Tom Bridges 1918.jpg Lieutenant-General Sir Tom Bridges 4 December 1922 4 December 1927
20 Lordgowrie.jpg Brigadier The Hon. Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven 14 May 1928 26 April 1934
21 Winston Dugan.jpg Major-General Sir Winston Dugan 28 July 1934 23 February 1939
Governors appointed by King George VI (1936–1952):
22 Malcolm Barclay-Harvey.jpg Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey 12 August 1939 26 April 1944
23 Willoughby Norrie.jpg Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Norrie 19 December 1944 19 June 1952
Governors appointed by Queen Elizabeth II (1952–2022):
24 Robert George 1956.jpg Air Vice-Marshal Sir Robert George 23 February 1953 7 March 1960
25 Lieutenant-General Sir Edric Bastyan 4 April 1961 1 June 1968
26 Major General Sir James Harrison 4 December 1968 16 September 1971
27 Sir Mark Oliphant.jpg Professor Sir Mark Oliphant 1 December 1971 30 November 1976
28 Douglas nicholls.jpg Sir Douglas Nicholls 1 December 1976 30 April 1977
29 Reverend Sir Keith Seaman 1 September 1977 28 March 1982
30 Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan 23 April 1982 5 February 1991
31 Roma Mitchell 1965.jpg The Hon. Dame Roma Mitchell 6 February 1991 21 July 1996
32 Sir Eric Neal in Adelaide, South Australia 2016.jpg Sir Eric Neal 22 July 1996 3 November 2001
33 Marjorie Jackson.jpg Marjorie Jackson-Nelson 3 November 2001 31 July 2007
34 Kevin Scarce in 2008.jpg Rear Admiral The Hon. Kevin Scarce 8 August 2007 7 August 2014
35 Hieu Van Le 2015.jpg The Hon. Hieu Van Le 1 September 2014 31 August 2021
36 Frances Adamson (1).jpg Frances Adamson 7 October 2021

Administrators and Lieutenant Governors

These people stepped in to manage the government when the official governor was away.

Administrator Term
George Milner Stephen 1838
Boyle Travers Finniss 1854–55
Lt.-Col. Francis Gilbert Hamley 1868–69
Hon. Sir Samuel James Way, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. 1877 to 1915 (on 65 separate occasions)
Hon. Sir George John Robert Murray, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. 1916–42 (on 103 separate occasions)
Hon. Sir John Mellis Napier, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. 1942 to 1973 (on 179 separate occasions)
Sir Walter Crocker, Lt.-Gov. 1973 to 1982 (on 29 separate occasions)
Hon. Sir Condor Laucke, Lt.-Gov. 1982 to 1992 (on 43 separate occasions)
Hon. Dr. Basil Hetzel, Lt.-Gov. 1992 to 2000 (on 32 separate occasions)
Hon. John Doyle, Chief Justice 1999–2012 (on 10 separate occasions)
Hon. Bruno Krumins, Lt.-Gov. 2000–2007 (on 60 separate occasions)
Hon. Hieu Van Le, Lt.-Gov. 2007–2014
Hon. Brenda Wilson, Lt.-Gov. 2014–2022
Hon. Dr James Muecke AM, Lt.-Gov. 2022–February 2024
Hon. Dr Richard Harris OAM, Lt-Gov. 9 February 2024–
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