The governor of South Australia is the representative in

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 ...

of the

Monarch of Australia The monarchy of Australia is Australia's form of government embodied by the Australian sovereign and head of state. The Australian monarchy is a constitutional monarchy, modelled on the Westminster system of parliamentary government, while in ...

, currently King

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

. The governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the

governor-general of Australia The governor-general of Australia is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in Australia.Westminster system of parliamentary government, the governor nearly always acts solely on the advice of the head of the elected government, the

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...

. Nevertheless, the governor retains the

reserve powers Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US v ...

of the Crown, and has the right to dismiss the Premier. As from June 2014, the Queen, upon the recommendation of the Premier, accorded all current, future and living former governors the title 'The Honourable' for life. The first six governors oversaw the colony from

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

in 1836, until

self-government __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...

and an elected

Parliament of South Australia The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat House of Assembly ( lower house) and the 22-seat Legislative Council (upper house). General elections are ...

was granted in the year prior to the inaugural 1857 election. The first Australian-born governor of South Australia was Major-General Sir James Harrison (appointed 1968), and most subsequent governors have been Australian-born. The first South Australian-born governor was Sir

Mark Oliphant Sir Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant, (8 October 1901 – 14 July 2000) was an Australian physicist and humanitarian who played an important role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion and in the development of nuclear weapon ...

(appointed 1971), and the first Aboriginal governor was Sir

Douglas Nicholls Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls, (9 December 1906 – 4 June 1988) 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 ...

(appointed 1976). The current governor is diplomat

Frances Adamson 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, South Australia, ...

who was sworn in 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,Frances Adamson announced as South Australia's new governor, replacing Hieu Van Le - ABC News
''ABC News'', 19 May 2021 replacing

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 ...

,Former refugee Hieu Van Le sworn in as South Australia's governor during official ceremony
''ABC News'', 1 September 2014. who held the role from 2014 to 2021. The governor's official residence is

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

, 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 ...

, the state's capital.

Role

Prior to self-government, the governor was responsible to the

Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal coat of arms of t ...

and was charged with implementing laws and policy. Currently, the governor is responsible for safeguarding the South Australian Constitution and facilitating the work of the Parliament and state government. The governor exercises power on the advice of ministers, conveyed through the Executive Council. Constitutional powers bestowed upon the governor and used with the consent and advice of the Executive Council include: * to appoint and dismiss ministers. * exercising the prerogative of mercy. * issuing regulations and proclamations under existing laws. * giving royal assent to bills passed by Parliament. * appointing judges, royal commissioners and senior public servants. * dissolving Parliament and issuing writs for elections. The governor additionally maintains 'reserve powers' which can be used without the consent of the Executive Council. These powers relate to the appointment and dismissal of ministers and Parliament.

Governor's standard

The governor standard of South Australia is the same design as the British blue ensign with the Union Flag at the upper left quarter. On the right side, the State Badge of South Australia, comprising a piping shrike in a golden disc, is surmounted by the St. Edward's crown. If the standard is flying at Government House, on a vehicle or at an event, this indicates that the governor is present. ;Past and present standards of the governor File: Flag of the Governor of South Australia (1870-1876).svg, 1870–1876 File: Flag of the Governor of South Australia (1876–1904).svg, 1876-1904 File: Flag of the Governor of South Australia (1904–1975).svg, 1904-1975 File: Flag of the Governor of South Australia.svg , 1975 -present

Governor's Awards and Commendations

Awards

The Governor of South Australia supports outstanding achievers within the South Australian community through the presentation of a number of annual awards: CC-BY icon

Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under
Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU)
licence. *The Governor's Multicultural Awards recognise and celebrate South Australians who promote multiculturalism and increase the understanding of the benefits of cultural diversity in our community; administered by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet through Multicultural Affairs. They are presented by His Excellency the Governor on the advice of an independent judging panel. *The Governor's Aboriginal Youth Awards recognise young Aboriginal South Australians, aged between 15 and 29 years, who are showing potential and determination to achieve success, or who are excelling in their chosen field in one of three areas: Sport, Arts and Higher Education; delivered through a partnership between the Department of the Premier and Cabinet’s Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation division and the Office of the Governor. *The Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools provide the opportunity for young South Australians to develop their understanding of the role citizenship plays in a multicultural and democratic society. The inaugural awards in 2019 had two categories: an individual and a group award for Year 5 students; in 2020, they expanded to include students from Years 5-12.

Commendations

The Governor also awards a series of commendations for excellence in the SACE year 12 exams, including: *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 of South Australia

Administrators and lieutenant-governors

These people administered the government in the absence of the official governor.

External links

The Official Website of the Governor of South Australia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Governor Of South Australia

Parliament of South Australia South Australia-related lists 1836 establishments in Australia