Premier of South Australia | |
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Department of the Premier and Cabinet Government of South Australia | |
Style |
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Status | Head of government |
Member of |
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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 | A$418,000 [1] |
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 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.
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 the 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, the majority folding into the main non-Labor party.
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.
No. | Portrait | Name Electoral district (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Election | Party | Ministry | Monarch | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Term start | Term end | Time in office | ||||||||
1 | B. T. Finniss MHA for Adelaide (1807–1893) | 24 October 1856 | 21 August 1857 | 301 days | — | Independent | Finniss | Victoria (1837–1901) Governor:
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1857 | ||||||||||
2 | John Baker MLC (1813–1872) | 21 August 1857 | 1 September 1857 | 11 days | — | Independent | Baker | |||
3 | Robert Richard Torrens MHA for Adelaide (1814–1884) | 1 September 1857 | 30 September 1857 | 29 days | — | Independent | Torrens | |||
4 | Richard Hanson MHA for Adelaide (1805–1876) | 30 September 1857 | 9 May 1860 | 2 years, 222 days | — | Independent | Hanson | |||
5 | Thomas Reynolds MHA for Adelaide (1818–1875) | 9 May 1860 | 8 October 1861 | 1 year, 152 days | 1860 | Independent | Reynolds I | |||
Reynolds II | ||||||||||
6 | George Waterhouse MLC (1824–1906) | 8 October 1861 | 4 July 1863 | 1 year, 269 days | — | Independent | Waterhouse I | |||
— | Waterhouse II | |||||||||
1862 | ||||||||||
7 | Francis Dutton MHA for Light (1818–1877) | 4 July 1863 | 15 July 1863 | 11 days | — | Independent | Dutton I | |||
8 | Henry Ayers MLC (1821–1897) | 15 July 1863 | 4 August 1864 | 1 year, 20 days | — | Independent | Ayers I | |||
— | Ayers II | |||||||||
9 | Arthur Blyth MHA for Gumeracha (1823–1891) | 4 August 1864 | 22 March 1865 | 230 days | — | Independent | Blyth I | |||
(7) | Francis Dutton MHA for Light (1818–1877) | 22 March 1865 | 20 September 1865 | 182 days | — | Independent | Dutton II | |||
(8) | Henry Ayers MLC (1821–1897) | 20 September 1865 | 23 October 1865 | 33 days | — | Independent | Ayers III | |||
10 | John Hart MHA for Port Adelaide (1809–1873) | 23 October 1865 | 28 March 1866 | 156 days | — | Independent | Hart I | |||
11 | James Boucaut MHA for Encounter Bay (1831–1916) | 28 March 1866 | 3 May 1867 | 1 year, 36 days | — | Independent | Boucaut I | |||
(8) | Henry Ayers MLC (1821–1897) | 3 May 1867 | 24 September 1868 | 1 year, 144 days | — | Independent | Ayers IV | |||
1868 | ||||||||||
(10) | John Hart MHA for Light (1809–1873) | 24 September 1868 | 13 October 1868 | 19 days | — | Independent | Hart II | |||
(8) | Henry Ayers MLC (1821–1897) | 13 October 1868 | 3 November 1868 | 21 days | — | Independent | Ayers V | |||
12 | Henry Strangways MHA for West Torrens (1832–1920) | 3 November 1868 | 30 May 1870 | 1 year, 208 days | — | Independent | Strangways I | |||
1870 | Strangways II | |||||||||
(10) | John Hart MHA for The Burra (1809–1873) | 30 May 1870 | 10 November 1871 | 1 year, 164 days | — | Independent | Hart III | |||
(9) | Arthur Blyth MHA for Gumeracha (1823–1891) | 10 November 1871 | 22 January 1872 | 73 days | — | Independent | Blyth II | |||
1871 | ||||||||||
(8) | Sir Henry Ayers MLC (1821–1897) | 22 January 1872 | 22 July 1873 | 1 year, 151 days | — | Independent | Ayers VI | |||
— | Ayers VII | |||||||||
(9) | Arthur Blyth MHA for Gumeracha (1823–1891) | 22 July 1873 | 3 June 1875 | 1 year, 316 days | — | Independent | Blyth III | |||
1875 | ||||||||||
(11) | James Boucaut MHA for Encounter Bay (1831–1916) | 3 June 1875 | 6 June 1876 | 1 year, 3 days | — | Independent | Boucaut II | |||
Boucaut III | ||||||||||
13 | John Colton MHA for Noarlunga (1823–1902) | 6 June 1876 | 26 October 1877 | 1 year, 142 days | — | Independent | Colton I | |||
(11) | James Boucaut MHA for Encounter Bay (1831–1916) | 26 October 1877 | 27 September 1878 | 336 days | — | Independent | Boucaut IV | |||
1878 | ||||||||||
14 | William Morgan MLC (1828–1883) | 27 September 1878 | 24 June 1881 | 2 years, 270 days | — | Independent | Morgan | |||
1881 | ||||||||||
15 | John Cox Bray MHA for East Adelaide (1842–1894) | 24 June 1881 | 16 June 1884 | 2 years, 358 days | — | Independent | Bray | |||
1884 | ||||||||||
(13) | John Colton MHA for Noarlunga (1823–1902) | 16 June 1884 | 16 June 1885 | 1 year, 0 days | — | Independent | Colton II | |||
16 | Sir John Downer MHA for Barossa (1843–1915) | 16 June 1885 | 11 June 1887 | 1 year, 360 days | — | Independent | Downer I | |||
1887 | ||||||||||
17 | Thomas Playford (II) MHA for Newcastle (1837–1915) | 11 June 1887 | 27 June 1889 | 2 years, 16 days | — | Independent | Playford (II) I | |||
18 | John Cockburn MHA for Mount Barker (1850–1929) | 27 June 1889 | 19 August 1890 | 1 year, 53 days | — | Liberal | Cockburn | |||
1890 | ||||||||||
(17) | Thomas Playford (II) MHA for East Torrens (1837–1915) | 19 August 1890 | 21 June 1892 | 1 year, 307 days | — | Conservative | Playford (II) II | |||
19 | Frederick Holder MHA for Burra (1850–1909) | 21 June 1892 | 15 October 1892 | 116 days | — | Liberal | Holder I | |||
(16) | Sir John Downer MHA for Barossa (1843–1915) | 15 October 1892 | 16 June 1893 | 244 days | — | Conservative | Downer II | |||
20 | Charles Kingston MHA for West Adelaide (1850–1908) | 16 June 1893 | 1 December 1899 | 6 years, 168 days | 1893 | Liberal | Kingston | |||
1896 | ||||||||||
1899 | ||||||||||
21 | Vaiben Louis Solomon MHA for Northern Territory (1853–1908) | 1 December 1899 | 8 December 1899 | 7 days | — | Conservative | Solomon | |||
(19) | Frederick Holder MHA for Burra (1850–1909) | 8 December 1899 | 15 May 1901 | 1 year, 158 days | — | Liberal | Holder II | |||
22 | John Jenkins MHA for Torrens (1851–1923) | 15 May 1901 | 1 March 1905 | 3 years, 290 days | — | Liberal | Jenkins | |||
Edward VII (1901–1910) Governor:
| ||||||||||
1902 | ||||||||||
23 | Richard Butler MHA for Barossa (1850–1925) | 1 March 1905 | 26 July 1905 | 147 days | — | Conservative | R. Butler | |||
24 | Thomas Price MHA for Torrens (1852–1909) | 26 July 1905 | 5 June 1909 | 3 years, 314 days | 1905 | United Labor | Price | |||
1906 | ||||||||||
25 | Archibald Peake MHA for Victoria and Albert (1859–1920) | 5 June 1909 | 3 June 1910 | 363 days | — | Liberal and Democratic Union | Peake I | |||
George V (1910–1936) Governor:
| ||||||||||
26 | John Verran MHA for Wallaroo (1856–1932) | 3 June 1910 | 17 February 1912 | 1 year, 259 days | 1910 | United Labor | Verran | |||
(25) | Archibald Peake MHA for Victoria and Albert (1859–1920) | 17 February 1912 | 3 April 1915 | 3 years, 45 days | 1912 | Liberal Union | Peake II | |||
27 | Crawford Vaughan MHA for Sturt (1874–1947) | 3 April 1915 | 14 July 1917 | 2 years, 102 days | 1915 | United Labor | Vaughan | |||
(25) | Archibald Peake MHA for Victoria and Albert (1859–1920) | 14 July 1917 | 8 April 1920 | 2 years, 269 days | — | Liberal Union | Peake III | |||
1918 | ||||||||||
28 | Sir Henry Barwell MHA for Stanley (1877–1959) | 8 April 1920 | 16 April 1924 | 4 years, 8 days | — | Liberal Union (until 1923) | Barwell | |||
1921 | ||||||||||
Liberal Federation (from 1923) | ||||||||||
29 | John Gunn MHA for Adelaide (1884–1959) | 16 April 1924 | 28 August 1926 | 2 years, 134 days | 1924 | Labor | Gunn | |||
30 | Lionel Hill MHA for Port Pirie (1881–1963) | 28 August 1926 | 8 April 1927 | 223 days | — | Labor | Hill I | |||
31 | Richard Layton Butler MHA for Wooroora (1886–1966) | 8 April 1927 | 17 April 1930 | 3 years, 9 days | 1927 | Liberal Federation | R. L. Butler I | |||
(30) | Lionel Hill MHA for Port Pirie (1881–1963) | 17 April 1930 | 13 February 1933 | 2 years, 302 days | 1930 | Labor | Hill II | |||
32 | Robert Richards MHA for Wallaroo (1885–1967) | 13 February 1933 | 18 April 1933 | 64 days | — | Labor | Richards | |||
(31) | Richard Layton Butler MHA for Wooroora (1886–1966) | 18 April 1933 | 5 November 1938 | 5 years, 201 days | 1933 | Liberal and Country League | R. L. Butler II | |||
Edward VIII (1936) Governor: | ||||||||||
George VI (1936–1952) Governor:
| ||||||||||
1938 | ||||||||||
33 | Sir Thomas Playford (IV) MHA for Gumeracha (1896–1981) | 5 November 1938 | 10 March 1965 | 26 years, 125 days | — | Liberal and Country League | Playford (IV) I | |||
1941 | ||||||||||
1944 | Playford (IV) II | |||||||||
1947 | ||||||||||
1950 | ||||||||||
Elizabeth II (1952–2022) Governor:
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1953 | ||||||||||
1956 | ||||||||||
1959 | ||||||||||
1962 | ||||||||||
34 | Frank Walsh MHA for Edwardstown (1897–1968) | 10 March 1965 | 1 June 1967 | 2 years, 83 days | 1965 | Labor | Walsh | |||
35 | Don Dunstan MHA for Norwood (1926–1999) | 1 June 1967 | 17 April 1968 | 321 days | — | Labor | Dunstan I | |||
36 | Steele Hall MHA for Gouger (born 1928) | 17 April 1968 | 2 June 1970 | 2 years, 46 days | 1968 | Liberal and Country League | Hall | |||
(35) | Don Dunstan MHA for Norwood (1926–1999) | 2 June 1970 | 15 February 1979 | 8 years, 258 days | 1970 | Labor | Dunstan II | |||
1973 | ||||||||||
1975 | ||||||||||
1977 | ||||||||||
37 | Des Corcoran MHA for Hartley (1928–2004) | 15 February 1979 | 18 September 1979 | 215 days | — | Labor | Corcoran | |||
38 | David Tonkin MHA for Bragg (1929–2000) | 18 September 1979 | 10 November 1982 | 3 years, 53 days | 1979 | Liberal | Tonkin | |||
39 | John Bannon MHA for Ross Smith (1943–2015) | 10 November 1982 | 4 September 1992 | 9 years, 299 days | 1982 | Labor | Bannon | |||
1985 | ||||||||||
1989 | ||||||||||
40 | Lynn Arnold MHA for Ramsay (born 1949) | 4 September 1992 | 14 December 1993 | 1 year, 101 days | — | Labor | Arnold | |||
41 | Dean Brown MHA for Finniss (born 1943) | 14 December 1993 | 28 November 1996 | 2 years, 350 days | 1993 | Liberal | Brown | |||
42 | John Olsen MHA for Kavel (born 1945) | 28 November 1996 | 22 October 2001 | 4 years, 328 days | — | Liberal | Olsen | |||
1997 | ||||||||||
43 | Rob Kerin MHA for Frome (born 1954) | 22 October 2001 | 5 March 2002 | 165 days | — | Liberal | Kerin | |||
44 | Mike Rann MHA for Ramsay (born 1953) | 5 March 2002 | 21 October 2011 | 9 years, 230 days | 2002 | Labor | Rann | |||
2006 | ||||||||||
2010 | ||||||||||
45 | Jay Weatherill MHA for Cheltenham (born 1964) | 21 October 2011 | 19 March 2018 | 6 years, 149 days | — | Labor | Weatherill | |||
2014 | ||||||||||
46 | Steven Marshall MHA for Dunstan (born 1968) | 19 March 2018 | 21 March 2022 | 4 years, 2 days | 2018 | Liberal | Marshall | |||
47 | Peter Malinauskas MHA for Croydon (born 1980) | 21 March 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 345 days | 2022 | Labor | Malinauskas | |||
Charles III (2022–present) Governor: |
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.
A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing coalition has an absolute majority of legislators in a parliament or other legislature. This situation is also known as a balanced parliament, or as a legislature under no overall control (NOC), and can result in a minority government. This term is occasionally used as wordplay for sex scandals.
The Liberal Party was a parliamentary party in Australian federal politics between 1909 and 1917. The party was founded under Alfred Deakin's leadership as a merger of the Protectionist Party and Anti-Socialist Party, an event known as the Fusion.
Archibald Henry Peake was an Australian politician. He was Premier of South Australia on three occasions: from 1909 to 1910 for the Liberal and Democratic Union, and from 1912 to 1915 and 1917 to 1920 for its successor, the Liberal Union. He had also been Treasurer and Attorney-General in the Price-Peake coalition government from 1905 to 1909.
The Leader of the Opposition in South Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties, known as the Opposition, in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia. By convention, the leader of the opposition is a member of the House of Assembly. The leader acts as the public face of the opposition, and acts as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government. They are also given certain additional rights under parliamentary standing orders, such as extended time limits for speeches. Should the opposition win an election, the Leader of the Opposition will be nominated to become the Premier of South Australia.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 9 April to 23 April 1890. All 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.
The 1893 South Australian colonial election was held on 15 April 1893 to elect all 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly.
The 1896 South Australian colonial election was held on 25 April 1896 to elect all 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly. In the seat of Northern Territory, the election was on 2 May. All 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent liberal government led by Premier of South Australia Charles Kingston in an informal coalition with the United Labor Party (ULP) led by John McPherson defeated the conservative opposition. Each district elected multiple members, with voters casting multiple votes.
The 1899 South Australian colonial election was held on 29 April 1899 to elect all 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly. In the seat of Albert, the incumbent members were elected unopposed on 12 April, and the election in the seat of Northern Territory was held on 6 May. All 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent liberal government led by Premier of South Australia Charles Kingston in an informal coalition United Labor Party (ULP) led by Lee Batchelor defeated the conservative opposition led by Leader of the Opposition John Downer. Each district elected multiple members, with voters casting multiple votes. Although the conservatives won more seats, the liberal government retained power until later that year, when new conservative leader Vaiben Louis Solomon forced the government to resign, but only held office for one week. The liberals held government until the next election through leaders Frederick Holder and John Jenkins.
The 1905 South Australian state election was held on 27 May 1905. All 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent conservative government led by Premier of South Australia Richard Butler in an informal coalition with the liberals was defeated by the United Labor Party (ULP) led by Leader of the Opposition Thomas Price. Each of the 13 districts elected multiple members, with voters casting multiple votes.
The 1906 South Australian state election was held on 3 November 1906 to elect all 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly. The seat of Northern Territory went to an election on 10 November.
State elections were held in South Australia on 2 April 1910. All 42 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Liberal and Democratic Union (LDU) government led by Premier of South Australia Archibald Peake was defeated by the United Labor Party (ULP) led by John Verran. Each of the 13 districts elected multiple members, with voters casting multiple votes. The Peake LDU minority government had replaced the Price ULP/LDU coalition government in June 1909. The 1910 election was the first to result in a South Australian majority government. This came two weeks after the election of a first majority in either house in the Parliament of Australia at the 1910 federal election, also for Labor. Though a South Australian majority was won, the ULP did not take office until after the new lower house first met.
The history of the Australian Labor Party has its origins in the Labour parties founded in the 1890s in the Australian colonies prior to federation. Labor tradition ascribes the founding of Queensland Labour to a meeting of striking pastoral workers under a ghost gum tree in Barcaldine, Queensland in 1891. The Balmain, New South Wales branch of the party claims to be the oldest in Australia. Labour as a parliamentary party dates from 1891 in New South Wales and South Australia, 1893 in Queensland, and later in the other colonies.
The Price-Peake Government is the name given to the coalition government in South Australia between 1905 and 1909 when Labor leader Tom Price led the government as Premier of South Australia with the support of the Liberal and Democratic Union (LDU) leader Archibald Peake as Treasurer of South Australia and Attorney-General of South Australia. Despite neither leader having Ministerial experience, the government they led was popular and successful.
The South Australian Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch) and commonly referred to simply as South Australian Labor, is the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, originally formed in 1891 as the United Labor Party of South Australia. It is one of two major parties in the bicameral Parliament of South Australia, the other being the Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division).
The South Australian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (South Australian Division), and often shortened to SA Liberals, is the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia. It was formed as the Liberal and Country League (LCL) in 1932 and became the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party when the Liberal Party was formed in 1945. It retained its Liberal and Country League name before changing to its current name in 1974. It is one of two major parties in the bicameral Parliament of South Australia, the other being the Australian Labor Party (SA Branch). The party has been led by Leader of the Opposition David Speirs since the 2022 state election after a one-term government.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 19 March to 21 April 1887. All 52 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 29 March to 30 April 1878. All 46 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 6 April to 7 May 1868. All 36 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 20 February to 13 March 1865. All 36 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.
Colonial elections were held in South Australia from 9 March to 3 April 1860. All 36 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election.