Premier of South Australia

Premier of South Australia
Premier of South Australia
	South Australian Coat of Arms
	Flag of South Australia
	Incumbent; Steven Marshall; since 19 March 2018
	Department of the Premier and Cabinet; Government of South Australia
Style	The Honourable (formal); Premier (informal);
Status	Head of Government
Member of	Parliament; National Cabinet; Cabinet; Executive Council;
Reports to	Parliament
Seat	State Administration Centre; 200 Victoria Square, Adelaide
Appointer	Governor of South Australia; by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the House of Assembly
Term length	At the Governor's pleasure; contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the House of Assembly
Constituting instrument	None (constitutional convention)
Formation	24 October 1856
First holder	Boyle Finniss
Deputy	Deputy Premier of South Australia
Salary	$374,648 (AUD)
Website	www.premier.sa.gov.au

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 appointed by the Governor of South Australia, and by modern convention holds office by virtue of his or her ability to command the support of a majority of members of the lower house of Parliament, the House of Assembly.

Steven Marshall is the current premier, having served since 19 March 2018.

History[]

The office of Premier of South Australia was established upon the commencement of responsible government with the passage of the Constitution Act 1856. The role was based upon that of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with the Premier requiring the support of a majority of the members of the lower house to remain head of government.

No parties or solid groupings would be formed until after the 1890 election, which resulted in frequent changes of the Premier of South Australia. If for any reason the incumbent Premier lost sufficient support through a successful motion of no confidence at any time on the floor of the house, he would tender his resignation to the Governor of South Australia, which would result in another member deemed to have the support of the House of Assembly being sworn in by the Governor as the next Premier.

Informal groupings began and increased government stability occurred from the 1887 election. The United Labor Party would be formed in 1891, while the National Defence League would be formed later in the same year.

Before the 1890s when there was no formal party system in South Australia, MPs tended to have historical liberal or conservative beliefs. The liberals dominated government from the 1893 election to 1905 election with the support of the South Australian United Labor Party, with the conservatives mostly in opposition. Labor took government with the support of eight dissident liberals in 1905 when Labor won the most seats for the first time. The rise of Labor saw non-Labor politics start to merge into various party incarnations.

The two independent conservative parties, the Australasian National League (formerly National Defence League) and the Farmers and Producers Political Union merged with the Liberal and Democratic Union to become the Liberal Union in 1910. Labor formed South Australia's first majority government after winning the 1910 state election, triggering the merger. The 1910 election came two weeks after federal Labor formed Australia's first elected majority government at the 1910 federal election.

No "Country" or rural conservative parties emerged as serious long-term forces in South Australian state politics, often folding into the main non-Labor party.

List of premiers 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.

Colour key (for political parties)
Independent Liberalism Conservatism Liberal Federation/Union Liberal & Country Liberal Labor

No.	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Portrait	Term of office			Elected (Parliament)	Party	Government
No.	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Start	End	Time in Office		Elected (Parliament)	Party	Government
Colonial Government (1856–1901)
1	Boyle Finniss (1807–1893) MHA for Adelaide		24 October 1856	21 August 1857	301 days	1857 (1st)	Independent	Finniss
2	John Baker (1813–1872) Councillor		21 August 1857	1 September 1857	11 days	— (1st)	Independent	Baker
3	Robert Richard Torrens (1814–1884) MHA for Adelaide		1 September 1857	30 September 1857	29 days	— (1st)	Independent	Torrens
4	Richard Hanson (1805–1876) MHA for Adelaide		30 September 1857	9 May 1860	2 years, 222 days	— (1st)	Independent	Hanson
5	Thomas Reynolds (1818–1875) MHA for Adelaide		9 May 1860	8 October 1861	1 year, 152 days	1860 (2nd)	Independent	Reynolds (1st) Reynolds (2nd)
6	George Waterhouse (1824–1906) Councillor		8 October 1861	4 July 1863	1 year, 269 days	— (2nd) 1862 (3rd)	Independent	Waterhouse (1st) Waterhouse (2nd)
7	Francis Dutton (1818–1877) MHA for Light		4 July 1863	15 July 1863	11 days	— (3rd)	Independent	Dutton (1st)
8	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor		15 July 1863	4 August 1864	1 year, 20 days	— (3rd)	Independent	Ayers (1st) Ayers (2nd)
9	Arthur Blyth (1823–1890) MHA for Gumeracha		4 August 1864	22 March 1865	230 days	— (3rd)	Independent	Blyth (1st)
(7)	Francis Dutton		22 March 1865	20 September 1865	182 days	1865 (4th)	Independent
(8)	Henry Ayers		20 September 1865	23 October 1865	33 days	— (4th)	Independent
10	John Hart (1809–1873) MHA for Port Adelaide		23 October 1865	28 March 1866	156 days	— (4th)	Independent
11	James Boucaut (1831–1916) MHA for Encounter Bay		28 March 1866	3 May 1867	1 year, 36 days	— (4th)	Independent
(8)	Henry Ayers		3 May 1867	24 September 1868	1 year, 144 days	— (4th) 1868 (5th)	Independent
(10)	John Hart MHA for Light		24 September 1868	13 October 1868	19 days	— (5th)	Independent
(8)	Henry Ayers		13 October 1868	3 November 1868	21 days	— (5th)	Independent
12	Henry Strangways (1832–1920) MHA for West Torrens		3 November 1868	30 May 1870	1 year, 208 days	— (5th) 1870 (6th)	Independent
(10)	John Hart MHA for The Burra		30 May 1870	10 November 1871	1 year, 164 days	— (6th)	Independent
(9)	Arthur Blyth		10 November 1871	22 January 1872	73 days	— (6th) 1871 (7th)	Independent
(8)	Henry Ayers		22 January 1872	22 July 1873	1 year, 151 days	— (7th)	Independent
(9)	Arthur Blyth		22 July 1873	3 June 1875	1 year, 316 days	— (7th) 1875 (8th)	Independent
(11)	James Boucaut		3 June 1875	6 June 1876	1 year, 3 days	— (8th)	Independent
13	John Colton (1823–1902) MHA for Noarlunga		6 June 1876	26 October 1877	1 year, 142 days	— (8th)	Independent
(11)	James Boucaut		26 October 1877	27 September 1878	336 days	— (8th) 1878 (9th)	Independent
14	William Morgan (1828–1883) Councillor		27 September 1878	24 June 1881	2 years, 270 days	— (9th) 1881 (10th)	Independent
15	John Bray (1842–1894) MHA for East Adelaide		24 June 1881	16 June 1884	2 years, 358 days	— (10th) 1884 (11th)	Independent
(13)	John Colton		16 June 1884	16 June 1885	1 year, 0 days	— (11th)	Independent
16	John Downer (1843–1915) MHA for Barossa		16 June 1885	11 June 1887	1 year, 360 days	— (11th) 1887 (12th)	Independent
17	Thomas Playford (II) (1837–1915) MHA for Newcastle		11 June 1887	27 June 1889	2 years, 16 days	— (12th)	Independent
18	John Cockburn (1850–1929) MHA for Mount Barker		27 June 1889	19 August 1890	1 year, 53 days	— (12th) 1890 (13th)	Liberalism
(17)	Thomas Playford (II) MHA for East Torrens		19 August 1890	21 June 1892	1 year, 307 days	— (13th)	Conservatism
19	Frederick Holder (1850–1909) MHA for Burra		21 June 1892	15 October 1892	116 days	— (13th)	Liberalism	Holder (1st)
(16)	John Downer		15 October 1892	16 June 1893	244 days	— (13th)	Conservatism
20	Charles Kingston (1850–1908) MHA for West Adelaide		16 June 1893	1 December 1899	6 years, 168 days	1893 (14th) 1896 (15th) 1899 (16th)	Liberalism
21	Vaiben Solomon (1853–1908) MHA for Northern Territory		1 December 1899	8 December 1899	7 days	— (16th)	Conservatism	Solomon
(19)	Frederick Holder		8 December 1899	15 May 1901	1 year, 158 days	— (16th)	Liberalism	Holder (2nd)
State Government (1901–present)
22	John Jenkins (1851–1923) MHA for Torrens		15 May 1901	1 March 1905	3 years, 290 days	— (16th) 1902 (17th)	Liberalism
23	Richard Butler (1850–1925) MHA for Barossa		1 March 1905	26 July 1905	147 days	— (17th)	Conservatism
24	Thomas Price (1852–1909) MHA for Torrens		26 July 1905	5 June 1909	3 years, 314 days	1905 (18th) 1906 (19th)	United Labor
25	Archibald Peake (1859–1920) MHA for Victoria & Albert		5 June 1909	3 June 1910	363 days	— (19th)	Liberal & Democratic Union
26	John Verran (1856–1932) MHA for Wallaroo		3 June 1910	17 February 1912	1 year, 259 days	1910 (20th)	United Labor	Verran
(25)	Archibald Peake		17 February 1912	3 April 1915	3 years, 45 days	1912 (21st)	Liberal Union
27	Crawford Vaughan (1874–1947) MHA for Sturt		3 April 1915	14 July 1917	2 years, 102 days	1915 (22nd)	United Labor	Vaughan
(25)	Archibald Peake		14 July 1917	8 April 1920	2 years, 269 days	— (22nd) 1918 (23rd)	Liberal Union
28	Henry Barwell (1877–1959) MHA for Stanley		8 April 1920	16 April 1924	4 years, 8 days	— (23rd) 1921 (24th)	Liberal Union (until 1923) Liberal Federation (from 1923)
29	John Gunn (1884–1959) MHA for Adelaide		16 April 1924	28 August 1926	2 years, 134 days	1924 (25th)	Labor
30	Lionel Hill (1881–1963) MHA for Port Pirie		28 August 1926	8 April 1927	223 days	— (25th)	Labor	Hill (1st)
31	Richard L. Butler (1885–1966) MHA for Wooroora		8 April 1927	17 April 1930	3 years, 9 days	1927 (26th)	Liberal Federation
(30)	Lionel Hill		17 April 1930	13 February 1933	2 years, 302 days	1930 (27th)	Labor
32	Robert Richards (1885–1967) MHA for Wallaroo		13 February 1933	18 April 1933	64 days	— (27th)	Labor	Richards
(31)	Richard L. Butler		18 April 1933	5 November 1938	5 years, 201 days	1933 (28th) 1938 (29th)	Liberal and Country League
33	Thomas Playford (IV) (1896–1981) MHA for Gumeracha		5 November 1938	10 March 1965	26 years, 125 days	— (29th) 1941 (30th) 1944 (31st) 1947 (32nd) 1950 (33rd) 1953 (34th) 1956 (35th) 1959 (36th) 1962 (37th)	Liberal and Country League
34	Frank Walsh (1897–1968) MHA for Edwardstown		10 March 1965	1 June 1967	2 years, 83 days	1965 (38th)	Labor
35	Don Dunstan (1926–1999) MHA for Norwood		1 June 1967	17 April 1968	321 days	— (38th)	Labor
36	Steele Hall (born 1928) MHA for Gouger		17 April 1968	2 June 1970	2 years, 46 days	1968 (39th)	Liberal and Country League	Hall
(35)	Don Dunstan		2 June 1970	15 February 1979	8 years, 258 days	1970 (40th) 1973 (41st) 1975 (42nd) 1977 (43rd)	Labor
37	Des Corcoran (1928–2004) MHA for Hartley		15 February 1979	18 September 1979	215 days	— (43rd)	Labor
38	David Tonkin (1929–2000) MHA for Bragg		18 September 1979	10 November 1982	3 years, 53 days	1979 (44th)	Liberal
39	John Bannon (1943–2015) MHA for Ross Smith		10 November 1982	4 September 1992	9 years, 299 days	1982 (45th) 1985 (46th) 1989 (47th)	Labor
40	Lynn Arnold (born 1949) MHA for Ramsay		4 September 1992	14 December 1993	1 year, 101 days	— (47th)	Labor
41	Dean Brown (born 1943) MHA for Finniss		14 December 1993	28 November 1996	2 years, 350 days	1993 (48th)	Liberal
42	John Olsen (born 1945) MHA for Kavel		28 November 1996	22 October 2001	4 years, 328 days	— (48th) 1997 (49th)	Liberal
43	Rob Kerin (born 1954) MHA for Frome		22 October 2001	5 March 2002	165 days	— (49th)	Liberal	Kerin
44	Mike Rann (born 1953) MHA for Ramsay		5 March 2002	21 October 2011	9 years, 230 days	2002 (50th) 2006 (51st) 2010 (52nd)	Labor
45	Jay Weatherill (born 1964) MHA for Cheltenham		21 October 2011	19 March 2018	6 years, 149 days	— (52nd) 2014 (53rd)	Labor	Weatherill
46	Steven Marshall (born 1968) MHA for Dunstan		19 March 2018	—	3 years, 324 days^[2]	2018 (54th)	Liberal	Marshall

Living former premiers[]

Former South Australian premiers (from left) Robert Richards, Richard L. Butler, Lionel Hill and Henry Barwell meet with then Premier Tom Playford in 1940

There are seven living former premiers, the oldest being Steele Hall (1968–70, born 1928). The most recent premier to die was John Bannon (Premier 1982–1992) on 13 December 2015.

Name	Term as premier	Date of birth
Steele Hall	1968–1970	(1928-11-30) 30 November 1928 (age 93)
Lynn Arnold	1992–1993	(1949-01-27) 27 January 1949 (age 73)
Dean Brown	1993–1996	(1943-04-05) 5 April 1943 (age 78)
John Olsen	1996–2001	(1945-06-07) 7 June 1945 (age 76)
Rob Kerin	2001–2002	(1954-01-04) 4 January 1954 (age 68)
Mike Rann	2002–2011	(1953-01-05) 5 January 1953 (age 69)
Jay Weatherill	2011–2018	(1964-04-03) 3 April 1964 (age 57)

Timeline[]

In the following timeline, the legend includes the Liberal and Democratic Union, the Liberal Union and the Liberal Federation represented as "Liberal (pre-1979)". The Liberal Party is represented as "Liberal (post-1979)" only. The grey area represents the duration of Playmander electoral malapportionment, beginning in 1936, in effect until the 1970 election.

References[]

^ "'Extraordinary' $30,000 MP pay rise under fire from South Australian welfare groups". ABC News. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^ Steven Marshall's time in office as of 6 February 2022

Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836 – 2007

External links[]

[1] "'Extraordinary' $30,000 MP pay rise under fire from South Australian welfare groups". ABC News. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

[currentprem-2] Steven Marshall's time in office as of 6 February 2022

[1]

[2]

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