Frances Jennifer Adamson, (born 20 April 1961) is an Australian public servant and
diplomat who is the 36th
Governor of South Australia, in office since 7 October 2021.
Early life and education
Adamson was born in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, the daughter of former politician
Jennifer Cashmore
Jennifer Lilian Cashmore (born 5 December 1937) (previously, and for most of her political career, known as Mrs Jennifer Adamson) is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly betwee ...
and prominent Adelaide businessman Ian Adamson, and step-daughter of reporter
Stewart Cockburn.
[ Her sister, ]Christine Adamson
Christine Elizabeth Adamson is an Australian judge. She has been a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales since October 2011.
She was educated at Walford Anglican School for Girls and the University of Adelaide, where she graduated wit ...
is a New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
Supreme Court judge.
Adamson was educated at the Walford Anglican School for Girls and the University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
, where she received a Bachelor of Economics
The Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon),
or the "Bachelor of Applied Economics", is a bachelor's degree awarded by many universities and colleges for completion of an undergraduate program in economics, econometrics, or applied economics;
th ...
. In 1984 she was the first female captain of the Adelaide University Boat Club.
Career
Diplomatic career
Adamson joined the Australian Public Service in 1985. She was an economist at the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
from 1987 to 1991, before moving to London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
where she worked at the Australian High Commission to the United Kingdom as a political counsellor for five years.[ She returned to Australia to work for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra from 1998 until 2000, and then moved to ]Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
where she was Representative to the Australian Commerce and Industry Office for five years.[ She returned to London as Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2005 until 2008.
While in London, Adamson met Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, who asked her to become his Chief of Staff. She took the role on condition that she could manage her young family, and that as a "career diplomat" she would not get involved in politics.][ When Smith moved to the ]Defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
portfolio, she went with him.[
Between 2011 and 2015, Adamson held the post of Australian Ambassador to the ]People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the first woman in the position. During her time there, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement was negotiated and she has been credited with pushing the idea of partnership with the newly appointed Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...
, allowing the "political and diplomatic relationships" between the two countries to "finally" catch up with the economic one.[
In 2015, Adamson was appointed a foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister ]Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
.
On 20 July 2016, she was appointed Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT); the first female Secretary to be appointed to the portfolio.
Adamson served as the ACT Division of the Institute of Public Administration President from 2017 to 2019 and outlined her views on public service in her final speech as President. She was made a National Fellow of IPAA in 2019.
Governor of South Australia
On 19 May 2021, it was announced by Premier Steven Marshall that Adamson would be succeeding Hieu Van Le
Hieu Van Le, ( vi, Lê Văn Hiếu; born 1 January 1954) was the 35th governor of South Australia, in office from 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2021. He served as the state's lieutenant-governor from 2007 to 2014. He also served as chair of the ...
as Governor of South Australia in October 2021.[Frances Adamson announced as South Australia's new governor, replacing Hieu Van Le – ABC News]
''ABC News'', 19 May 2021 Following her nomination for Governor of South Australia, Adamson retired from the public service in June 2021. Foreign Minister Marise Payne
Marise Ann Payne (born 29 July 1964) is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison Government as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022 and as Minister for Women from 2019 to 2022. She has been a Senator for New South Wales si ...
said Adamson was one of "Australia's most accomplished and respected public servants and diplomats" and Marshall said her "wealth of knowledge on the international stage will put South Australia in good stead as we continue to put South Australia on the global map."[
Adamson was sworn in as Governor of South Australia in a formal ceremony at ]Government House, Adelaide
Government House, located in Adelaide on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, is the official residence of the governor of South Australia.
History
The original "Government Hut" was a thatched hut constructed by the seamen of ...
on 7 October 2021.
Awards and honours
In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours Adamson was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
for "eminent service to public administration through the advancement of Australia's diplomatic, trade and cultural interests, particularly with the People's Republic of China and the Indo-Pacific region, to innovative foreign policy development and high level program delivery, and as the 36th Governor appointed in South Australia."
Personal life
Adamson met and married Rod Bunten, a British diplomat, when they were both posted in Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
.[ They have four children.]
References
External links
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Frances
1961 births
Living people
Companions of the Order of Australia
Governors of South Australia
Australian public servants
People from Adelaide
Ambassadors of Australia to China
University of Adelaide alumni
Australian women ambassadors
Representatives of Australia to Taiwan