Governors of South Australia
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
at the national level.
In accordance with the conventions of the Westminster system
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
of parliamentary government, the Governor nearly always acts solely on the advice of the head of the elected government, the Premier of South Australia. Nevertheless, the Governor retains the reserve powers of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier. The Westminster system is a form of Constitutional Monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
.
The first Australian-born Governor of South Australia was Major-General Sir James Harrison
James Harrison (Australian governor)
Major General Sir James William Harrison KCMG CB CBE was an Australian military officer and the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia....
(appointed 1968), and all subsequent governors have been Australian-born. The first South Australian-born governor was Sir Mark Oliphant
Mark Oliphant
Sir Marcus 'Mark' Laurence Elwin Oliphant, AC, KBE, FRS was an Australian physicist and humanitarian who played a fundamental role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion and also the development of the atomic bomb.During his retirement, Oliphant was appointed as the Governor of...
(appointed 1971).
See Governors of the Australian states
Governors of the Australian states
The Governors of the Australian states are the representatives of the Queen of Australia in each of that country's six states. The Governors perform the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level...
for a description and history of the office of Governor.
List of Governors of South Australia
| # | Governor | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH John Hindmarsh Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH RN was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838.-Early life:... |
28 December 1836 | 16 July 1838 |
| 2 | Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler KH George Gawler -External links: – Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK... |
17 October 1838 | 15 May 1841 |
| 3 | Sir George Grey KCB George Edward Grey Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:... |
15 May 1841 | 25 October 1845 |
| 4 | Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Holt Robe Frederick Robe Major-General Frederick Holt Robe CB was the fourth Governor of South Australia, from 25 October 1845 to 2 August 1848.... |
25 October 1845 | 2 August 1848 |
| 5 | Sir Henry Fox Young KCMG Henry Young Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:... |
2 August 1848 | 20 December 1854 |
| 6 | Sir Richard Groves MacDonnell KCMG CB Richard Graves MacDonnell Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor... |
8 June 1855 | 4 March 1862 |
| 7 | Sir Dominick Daly Dominick Daly Sir Dominick Daly was the Governor of Prince Edward Island from 11 July 1854 to 25 May 1859 and later Governor of South Australia from 4 March 1862 until his death on 19 February 1868.... |
4 March 1862 | 19 February 1868 |
| 8 | The Rt Hon. Sir James Fergusson Bt | 16 February 1869 | 18 April 1873 |
| 9 | Sir Anthony Musgrave KCMG Anthony Musgrave Sir Anthony Musgrave KCMG was a colonial administrator and governor. He was born at St John’s, Antigua, the third of 11 children of Anthony Musgrave and Mary Harris Sheriff... |
9 June 1873 | 29 January 1877 |
| 10 | Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois GCMG CB William Jervois Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa... |
2 October 1877 | 9 January 1883 |
| 11 | Sir William Robinson GCMG | 19 February 1883 | 5 March 1889 |
| 12 | The Rt Hon. Earl of Kintore GCMG | 11 April 1889 | 10 April 1895 |
| 13 | Sir Thomas Buxton Bt GCMG | 29 October 1895 | 29 March 1899 |
| 14 | The Rt Hon. Lord Tennyson GCMG Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, GCMG, PC , the second Governor-General of Australia, was born at Chapel House, Twickenham, in Surrey, England. Named after his father's late friend Arthur Hallam, he was the elder son of Alfred Tennyson, the most popular and prominent poet of late Victorian... |
10 April 1899 | 17 July 1902 |
| 15 | Sir George Le Hunte KCMG George Le Hunte Sir George Ruthven Le Hunte KCMG was Governor of South Australia from 1 July 1903 until 18 February 1909, soon after federation of Australia.... |
1 July 1903 | 18 February 1909 |
| 16 | Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet GCVO KCB Day Bosanquet Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet GCVO, KCB was the Governor of South Australia from 18 February 1909 until 22 March 1914.-Naval career:Born in Alnwick in Northumberland, Bosanquet joined the Royal Navy in 1857... |
18 February 1909 | 22 March 1914 |
| 17 | Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Galway KCMG DSO Henry Galway Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Lionel Galway, KCMG, DSO was the Governor of South Australia from 18 April 1914 until 30 April 1920.... |
18 April 1914 | 30 April 1920 |
| 18 | Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Weigall KCMG William Weigall Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Ernest George Archibald Weigall, 1st Baronet KCMG was a British Conservative politician who was Governor of South Australia from 9 June 1920 until 30 May 1922.-Family:... |
9 June 1920 | 30 May 1922 |
| 19 | Lieutenant-General Sir Tom Bridges KCB KCMG DSO | 4 December 1922 | 4 December 1927 |
| 20 | Brigadier-General the Rt Hon. Earl of Gowrie VC KCMG CB DSO Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history... |
14 May 1928 | 26 April 1934 |
| 21 | Major-General Lord Dugan KCMG CB DSO | 28 July 1934 | 23 February 1939 |
| 22 | Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey KCMG | 12 August 1939 | 26 April 1944 |
| 23 | Lieutenant-General Sir Willoughby Norrie KCMG CB DSO MC Charles Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie Lieutenant-General Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie GCMG, GCVO, CB, DSO, MC & Bar was a British Army general during World War II, following which he served terms as Governor of South Australia and the eighth Governor-General of New Zealand.-Army career:After education at Eton and... |
19 December 1944 | 19 June 1952 |
| 24 | Air Vice-Marshal Sir Robert George KCMG KCVO KBE CB MC | 23 February 1953 | 7 March 1960 |
| 25 | Lieutenant-General Sir Edric Bastyan KCMG KCVO KBE CB Edric Bastyan Lieutenant-General Sir Edric Montague Bastyan, KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB was Governor of South Australia from 4 April 1961 until 1 June 1968 then Governor of Tasmania from 2 December 1968 until 30 November 1973... |
4 April 1961 | 1 June 1968 |
| 26 | Major-General Sir James Harrison KCMG CB CBE James Harrison (Australian governor) Major General Sir James William Harrison KCMG CB CBE was an Australian military officer and the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia.... |
4 December 1968 | 16 September 1971 |
| 27 | Professor Sir Mark Oliphant AC KBE Mark Oliphant Sir Marcus 'Mark' Laurence Elwin Oliphant, AC, KBE, FRS was an Australian physicist and humanitarian who played a fundamental role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion and also the development of the atomic bomb.During his retirement, Oliphant was appointed as the Governor of... |
1 December 1971 | 30 November 1976 |
| 28 | Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls KCVO OBE Douglas Nicholls Sir Douglas Ralph "Doug" Nicholls KCVO, OBE, was a prominent Aboriginal Australian from the Yorta Yorta people. He was a professional athlete, Churches of Christ pastor and church planter, ceremonial officer and a pioneering campaigner for reconciliation.Nicholls was the first Aboriginal person to... |
1 December 1976 | 30 April 1977 |
| 29 | Reverend Sir Keith Seaman KCVO OBE Keith Seaman Reverend Sir Keith Douglas Seaman, KCVO, OBE was Governor of South Australia from 1 September 1977 until 28 March 1982. He was the second successive governor to have been a minister of religion, Seaman being a minister in then recently-merged Uniting Church in Australia.Seaman's term as governor... |
1 September 1977 | 28 March 1982 |
| 30 | Lieutenant-General Sir Donald Dunstan AC KBE CB Donald Dunstan (Australian Governor) Lieutenant General Sir Donald Beaumont Dunstan, AC, KBE, CB was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of South Australia from 23 April 1982 until 5 February 1991.-Military career:... |
23 April 1982 | 5 February 1991 |
| 31 | The Hon. Dame Roma Mitchell AC DBE CVO QC Roma Mitchell Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, AC, DBE, CVO, QC was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. Mitchell was the first Australian woman to be a judge, a Queen's Counsel, a chancellor of an Australian university and the Governor of an Australian state.Roma Mitchell was born in Adelaide in 1913,... |
6 February 1991 | 21 July 1996 |
| 32 | Sir Eric Neal AC CVO Eric Neal Sir Eric James Neal AC CVO was the Governor of South Australia 1996-2001, Commissioner of Sydney from 1987 to 1988, and until the start of 2010, the Chancellor of Flinders University.... |
22 July 1996 | 3 November 2001 |
| 33 | Mrs. Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE | 3 November 2001 | 31 July 2007 |
| 34 | Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC Kevin Scarce Rear Admiral Kevin John Scarce, AC, CSC, RANR is a retired officer of the Royal Australian Navy and the Governor of South Australia. He succeeded Marjorie Jackson-Nelson as Governor on 8 August 2007... |
8 August 2007 | Present |
Living former governors
Three former governors are alive, the oldest being Sir Keith SeamanKeith Seaman
Reverend Sir Keith Douglas Seaman, KCVO, OBE was Governor of South Australia from 1 September 1977 until 28 March 1982. He was the second successive governor to have been a minister of religion, Seaman being a minister in then recently-merged Uniting Church in Australia.Seaman's term as governor...
(1977–1982, born 1920). The latest-serving former governor to die was Dame Roma Mitchell
Roma Mitchell
Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, AC, DBE, CVO, QC was an Australian lawyer, judge and state governor. Mitchell was the first Australian woman to be a judge, a Queen's Counsel, a chancellor of an Australian university and the Governor of an Australian state.Roma Mitchell was born in Adelaide in 1913,...
(1991–1996), on 5 March 2000. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Sir Donald Dunstan
Donald Dunstan (Australian Governor)
Lieutenant General Sir Donald Beaumont Dunstan, AC, KBE, CB was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of South Australia from 23 April 1982 until 5 February 1991.-Military career:...
(1982–1991), on 15 October 2011.
| Name | Term as governor | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. Sir Keith Seaman Keith Seaman Reverend Sir Keith Douglas Seaman, KCVO, OBE was Governor of South Australia from 1 September 1977 until 28 March 1982. He was the second successive governor to have been a minister of religion, Seaman being a minister in then recently-merged Uniting Church in Australia.Seaman's term as governor... |
1977–1982 | |
| Sir Eric Neal Eric Neal Sir Eric James Neal AC CVO was the Governor of South Australia 1996-2001, Commissioner of Sydney from 1987 to 1988, and until the start of 2010, the Chancellor of Flinders University.... |
1996–2001 | |
| Marjorie Jackson-Nelson | 2001–2007 |