Governor of South Australia
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. 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. 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 in 1836 until self-government and an elected Parliament of South Australia was enacted in the year prior to the inaugural 1857 election.
The first Australian-born Governor of South Australia was Major-General Sir James Harrison, and most subsequent governors have been Australian-born. The first South Australian-born governor was Sir Mark Oliphant, and the first Aboriginal governor was Sir Douglas Nicholls. The current governor is Hieu Van Le., who commenced when the term of the previous governor, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, expired on 7 August 2014. The Governor's official residence is Government House, in Adelaide, the state's capital.
Role
Prior to self-government, the Governor was responsible to the Government of the United Kingdom 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.
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
List of Governors of South Australia
Administrators and Lieutenant-Governors
These people administered the government in the absence of the official governor.| Administrator | Term |
| George Milner Stephen | 1838 |
| Boyle Travers Finniss | 1854-55 |
| Lt.-Col. Francis Gilbert Hamley | 1868-69 |
| Major James Harwood Rocke | 1870 |
| Hon. Sir Richard Davies Hanson, Chief Justice | 1872-73 |
| Sir William Wellington Cairns, K.C.M.G | 1877 |
| Hon. Samuel James Way, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. | 1877 to 1915 |
| Hon. James Penn Boucaut, Judge of Supreme Court | 1885, 1886, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1897 |
| Hon. William Henry Bundey, Judge of Supreme Court | 1888 |
| Hon. Sir George John Robert Murray, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. | 1916–24, 1926–42 |
| Hon. Thomas Slaney Poole, Judge of Supreme Court | 1925 |
| Hon. Sir Herbert Angas Parsons, Judge of Supreme Court | 1935 to 1942 |
| Hon. Sir John Mellis Napier, Chief Justice, Lt.-Gov. | 1942 to 1973 |
| Hon. Sir Herbert Mayo, Judge of Supreme Court | 1946 to 1965 |
| Hon. Sir Geoffrey Sandford Reed, Judge of Supreme Court | 1951 to 1957 |
| Hon. John Jefferson Bray, Chief Justice | 1968 to 1973 |
| Hon. David Stirling Hogarth, Judge of Supreme Court | 1971 |
| Sir Walter Crocker, Lt.-Gov. | 1973 to 1982 |
| Hon. Sir Condor Laucke, Lt.-Gov. | 1982 to 1992 |
| Hon. Leonard James King, A.C., Chief Justice | 1987 |
| Hon. Dr. Basil Hetzel, Lt.-Gov. | 1992 to 2000 |
| Hon. John Doyle, Chief Justice | 1999-2012 |
| Hon. Bruno Krumins, Lt.-Gov. | 2000-2007 |
| Hon. John William Perry, Judge of Supreme Court | 2002 |
| Hon. Hieu Van Le, Lt.-Gov. | 2007–2014 |
| Hon. Brenda Wilson, Lt.-Gov. | 2014–date |
Living former governors
Three former governors are alive, the oldest being Sir Eric Neal. The latest-serving former governor to die was Dame Roma Mitchell, on 5 March 2000. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Sir Keith Seaman, on 30 June 2013.| Name | Term as governor | Date of birth |
| Sir Eric Neal | 1996–2001 | |
| Marjorie Jackson-Nelson | 2001–2007 | |
| Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce | 2007–2014 |