Governor of South Australia in the context of "Self-government"

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⭐ Core Definition: Governor of South Australia

The governor of South Australia is the representative in South Australia of the monarch, currently King Charles III. 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, Queen Elizabeth II, 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 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 (appointed 1971), and the first Aboriginal governor was Sir Douglas Nicholls (appointed 1976).

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Governor of South Australia in the context of Gawler

Gawler, established in 1839, is the oldest country town in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about 40–44 km (25–27 mi) north of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley. Topographically, Gawler lies at the confluence of two tributaries of the Gawler River, the North and South Para rivers, where they emerge from a range of low hills.

Historically a semi-rural area, Gawler has been swept up in Adelaide's growth in recent years, and is now counted as a suburb in the Outer Metro region of the Greater Adelaide Planning Region.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of George Gawler

Colonel George Gawler KH (21 July 1795 – 7 May 1869) was the second Governor of South Australia, at the same time serving as Resident Commissioner, from 17 October 1838 until 15 May 1841.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of Premier of South Australia

The Premier of South Australia is the head of government in the Australian state of South Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with the 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 their ability to command the support of a majority of members of the lower house of Parliament, the House of Assembly.

Peter Malinauskas is the current Premier, having served since 21 March 2022. Thomas Playford IV is the longest serving Premier, and the longest serving head of government in Australian history, serving for over 26 years from 1938 until 1965, holding on to power thanks the Playmander.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of 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 held every 4 years, with all of the lower house and half of the upper house filled at each election. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government with the executive branch required to both sit in parliament and hold the confidence of the House of Assembly. The parliament is based at Parliament House on North Terrace in the state capital of Adelaide.

Unlike the federal parliament and the parliaments of most other states, the South Australian Constitution does not define the parliament as including either the monarch or the governor of South Australia as one of its constituent parts. However, the constitution also vests legislative power in the state's governor acting with the advice and consent of both houses of parliament, making the role of the governor effectively the same as those of the other states.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of James Harrison (Australian governor)

Major General Sir James William Harrison KCMG, CB, CBE (25 May 1912 – 16 September 1971) was an Australian Army officer and the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of Douglas Nicholls

Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls KCVO OBE (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 campaigner for reconciliation.

Nicholls was the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted when he was appointed Knight Bachelor in 1972 (he was subsequently appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1977). He was also the first—and as of 2025 the only—Indigenous Australian to be appointed to vice-regal office, serving as Governor of South Australia from 1 December 1976 until his resignation on 30 April 1977 due to poor health.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of Frederick Robe

Major-General Frederick Holt Robe CB (1801 – 4 April 1871) was the fourth Governor of South Australia, from 25 October 1845 to 2 August 1848.

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Governor of South Australia in the context of Hindmarsh Square

Hindmarsh Square/Mukata (formerly Mogata) is one of five public squares in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. It is located in the centre of the north-eastern quarter of the city, and surrounds the intersection of Grenfell and Pulteney streets, near the eastern end of the Rundle Mall. Pirie Street forms the southern boundary of the square.

It is one of six squares designed by the founder of Adelaide, Colonel William Light, who was Surveyor-General at the time, in his 1837 plan of the City of Adelaide which spanned the River Torrens Valley, comprising the city centre (South Adelaide) and North Adelaide. It was named after John Hindmarsh, the first Governor of South Australia, in the same year by the Street Naming Committee. In 2003, as part of the Adelaide City Council's dual naming initiative, it was assigned a second name, Mogata (later corrected to Mukata), in the Kaurna language of the original inhabitants.

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