Style His Excellency Formation 28 December 1836 | Appointer Australian monarch First holder Captain John Hindmarsh | |
 | ||
Residence Government House, Adelaide Term length At His/Her Majesty's pleasure | ||
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia 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 at the national level. The Governor's official residence is Government House, in Adelaide, the state's capital.
Contents
- List of Governors of South Australia
- Administrators acting governors
- Living former governors
- References
In accordance with the conventions of the 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. 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.
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 (appointed 1971).
The current governor is Hieu Van Le. The term of the previous governor, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, expired on 7 August 2014.
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.
List of Governors of South Australia
The first six Governors of South Australia oversaw governance from proclamation in 1836 until self-government and an elected Parliament of South Australia was enacted in the year prior to the inaugural 1857 election.
Administrators (acting governors)
These people administered the government in the absence of the official governor.
Living former governors
Three former governors are alive, the oldest being Sir Eric Neal (1996–2001, born 1924). The latest-serving former governor to die was Dame Roma Mitchell (1991–1996), on 5 March 2000. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Sir Keith Seaman (1977-1982), on 30 June 2013.