John Olsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable John Olsen AO
Premier of South Australia
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor	Sir Eric Neal
Deputy	Graham Ingerson (1996–1998) Rob Kerin (1998–2001)
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
President of the Liberal Party of Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 August 2020
Leader	Scott Morrison Peter Dutton Sussan Ley
Preceded by	Nick Greiner
President of the South Australian Liberal Party
In office 2 June 2017 – 27 September 2020
Preceded by	Steve Murray
Succeeded by	Legh Davis
In office 1976–1979
Preceded by	Trevor Griffin
Succeeded by	Dr Jim Forbes
Senator for South Australia
In office 7 May 1990 – 4 May 1992
Preceded by	Tony Messner
Succeeded by	Alan Ferguson
Leader of the Opposition in South Australia
In office 10 November 1982 – 12 January 1990
Deputy	Roger Goldsworthy
Preceded by	John Bannon
Succeeded by	Dale Baker
Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Deputy	Graham Ingerson Rob Kerin
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
In office 10 November 1982 – 12 January 1990
Deputy	Roger Goldsworthy
Preceded by	David Tonkin
Succeeded by	Dale Baker
Minister for Multicultural Affairs
In office 28 November 1996 – 22 October 2001
Premier	himself
Preceded by	Dean Brown
Succeeded by	Rob Kerin
Minister for Infrastructure and Industry
In office 14 December 1993 – 12 December 1996
Premier	Dean Brown
Preceded by	John Klunder
Succeeded by	Graham Ingerson
Minister for Fisheries
In office 5 March 1982 – 10 November 1982
Premier	David Tonkin
Preceded by	Allan Rodda
Succeeded by	Chris Sumner
Member for Kavel
In office 9 May 1992 – 9 February 2002
Preceded by	Roger Goldsworthy
Succeeded by	Mark Goldsworthy
Member for Custance
In office 7 December 1985 – 6 May 1990
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	Ivan Venning
Member for Rocky River
In office 15 September 1979 – 7 December 1985
Preceded by	Howard Venning
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Mayor of Kadina
In office 6 July 1974 – 2 July 1977
Preceded by	Lloyd Davies
Succeeded by	Graham Morphett
Alderman on the Kadina Council
In office 14 May 1971 – 2 July 1977
Personal details
Born	John Wayne Olsen (1945-06-07) 7 June 1945 (age 80) Kadina, South Australia, Australia
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia (SA)
Parents	Stanley John Olsen and Joyce Rosalind née Heath

John Wayne Olsen is an Australian politician and diplomat. He was born on 7 June 1945. He served as the Premier of South Australia from November 1996 to October 2001.

John Olsen has held many important roles. He was the leader of the Liberal Party in South Australia twice. He also served as a Senator for South Australia. After leaving state politics, he became a diplomat. He is currently the President of the Federal Liberal Party. He also holds leadership positions in sports, including Chairman of the Adelaide Football Club.

Early Life and Career

John Olsen was born in Kadina, South Australia. His mother was Joyce Rosalind Heath, and his father was Stanley John Olsen. His uncle, Leslie Heath, was also a politician in South Australia. John has Scottish and Swedish family roots.

He went to Kadina Memorial High School. Later, he studied business at the University of Adelaide. He became a fellow of the National Institute of Accountants.

John Olsen started working in 1962 at the Savings Bank of South Australia. He later managed his family's business, J. R. Olsen & Sons Pty Ltd. This company sold cars and machinery. From 1974 to 1976, he was the president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of South Australia.

Political Journey

John Olsen began his political career in local government. He was elected to the Kadina Town Council in 1971. He became mayor from 1974 to 1977. He was known as "South Australia's youngest ever mayor."

In 1976, Olsen became the president of the Liberal Party of Australia (South Australian Division). He held this role until 1979. He was first elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in 1979. He represented the area of Rocky River. This area was later renamed Custance in 1985.

Olsen became the Leader of the Opposition in South Australia in 1982. He led the Liberal Party in the 1985 and 1989 state elections. After the 1989 election, he left the South Australian parliament. He then became a Senator in the Australian Senate in 1990.

In 1992, Olsen returned to state politics. He was elected to the seat of Kavel. He served as Minister for Industry and Minister for Infrastructure until 1997.

Becoming Premier (1996-2001)

In November 1996, John Olsen became the leader of the Liberal Party again. This meant he also became the Premier of South Australia. He led his party to a close victory in the 1997 election. He remained Premier until 2001.

During his time as Premier, his government worked on several projects. These included managing the state's water supply. They also worked on recycling water from the Bolivar Water Treatment Plant. He supported the Barossa Water Project, which helped local winegrowers.

His government also helped develop the Mawson Lakes area in Adelaide. They also helped with the building of the Adelaide-Darwin Rail line. Olsen's government also brought major sporting events to South Australia. These included the Tour Down Under and the V8 Supercar Series. These events brought many visitors and money to the state.

Resignation as Premier

In 2001, John Olsen resigned as Premier. This happened after a report suggested he had provided information to parliament that wasn't completely accurate. This was related to a situation involving a technology company called Motorola. Olsen denied any wrongdoing. He noted that later investigations found no illegal activity. He did not run for re-election in 2002.

Liberal Party Leadership Roles

After leaving state politics, John Olsen continued to be involved in the Liberal Party. In June 2017, he was elected State President of the South Australian Liberal Party. He had held this position before, from 1976 to 1979. He stepped down from this role in September 2020.

In 2020, John Olsen was elected President of the Federal Liberal Party. He was the only candidate for the position.

Diplomatic Work

After his time as Premier, John Olsen became a diplomat. The Australian government appointed him as the Australian Consul-General in Los Angeles. Later, in December 2005, he became the Australian Consul-General in New York.

In 2004, Olsen started a program called G’Day USA. This program showcases the best of Australia in the United States. It expanded to New York in 2007. It is now the largest annual event promoting a foreign country in the United States.

Football Administration

John Olsen has also played a big role in Australian rules football. In 2010, he became chairman of the South Australian Football Commission. He helped with the move of football games from Football Park to Adelaide Oval. He was president of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 2014 to 2020. He is a life member of the West Adelaide Football Club.

Currently, Olsen is the Deputy Chairman of the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority. In October 2020, he was announced as the Chairman of the board of directors for the Adelaide Football Club. This is one of the professional Australian rules football clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Personal Life

John Olsen married Julie Abbott in 1968. They have two sons and one daughter.