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 to the "Playmander" system of district apportionment.

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. For the early years of responsible government, the office was held in conjunction with that of Chief Secretary of South Australia, a role that had existed since colonisation, but by the 1890s, this was no longer a convention.

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.

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.

Political parties

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Independent

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Liberalism

  Conservatism

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Liberal Federation/Union

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Liberal & Country

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Liberal

<span class="legend-color" style="border: 1px solid #AAAAAA;background-color:; color:;">  Labor

No.	Portrait	Name Birth–death Constituency	Election Parliament	Term of office					Political party	Ministry
				Took office	Age started	Left office	Age left	Time in office
Colonial Government (1856–1901)
1	File:B. T. Finniss 2.jpeg	Boyle Finniss (1807–1893) MHA for Adelaide	1857 (1st)	24 October 1856	49	21 August 1857	50	Template:Ayd	Independent	Finniss
2	File:John Baker SA.jpg	John Baker (1813–1872) Councillor	— (1st)	21 August 1857	44	1 September 1857	44	Template:Ayd	Independent	Baker
3	File:Robert Richard Torrens.jpg	Robert Richard Torrens (1814–1884) MHA for Adelaide	— (1st)	1 September 1857	43	30 September 1857	43	Template:Ayd	Independent	Torrens
4	File:Richard Hanson (Australia).jpg	Richard Hanson (1805–1876) MHA for Adelaide	— (1st)	30 September 1857	52	9 May 1860	55	Template:Ayd	Independent	Hanson
5	File:Thomas Reynolds (Australian politician).jpg	Thomas Reynolds (1818–1875) MHA for Adelaide	1860 (2nd)	9 May 1860	42	8 October 1861	43	Template:Ayd	Independent	Reynolds I Reynolds II
6	File:George Marsden Waterhouse.jpg	George Waterhouse (1824–1906) Councillor	— (2nd) 1862 (3rd)	8 October 1861	37	4 July 1863	39	Template:Ayd	Independent	Waterhouse I Waterhouse II
7	File:Francis Dutton.jpg	Francis Dutton (1818–1877) MHA for Light	— (3rd)	4 July 1863	45	15 July 1863	45	Template:Ayd	Independent	Dutton I
8	File:Henry Ayers.jpg	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor	— (3rd)	15 July 1863	42	4 August 1864	43	Template:Ayd	Independent	Ayers I Ayers II
9	File:ArthurBlyth.jpg	Arthur Blyth (1823–1891) MHA for Gumeracha	— (3rd)	4 August 1864	41	22 March 1865	42	Template:Ayd	Independent	Blyth I
(7)	File:Francis Dutton.jpg	Francis Dutton (1818–1877) MHA for Light	1865 (4th)	22 March 1865	47	20 September 1865	47	Template:Ayd	Independent	Dutton II
(8)	File:Henry Ayers.jpg	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor	— (4th)	20 September 1865	44	23 October 1865	44	Template:Ayd	Independent	Ayers III
10	File:John Hart 2.jpeg	John Hart (1809–1873) MHA for Port Adelaide	— (4th)	23 October 1865	56	28 March 1866	57	Template:Ayd	Independent	Hart I
11	File:Boucat.jpg	James Boucaut (1831–1916) MHA for Encounter Bay	— (4th)	28 March 1866	35	3 May 1867	36	Template:Ayd	Independent	Boucaut I
(8)	File:Henry Ayers.jpg	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor	— (4th) 1868 (5th)	3 May 1867	46	24 September 1868	47	Template:Ayd	Independent	Ayers IV
(10)	File:John Hart 2.jpeg	John Hart (1809–1873) MHA for Light	— (5th)	24 September 1868	59	13 October 1868	59	Template:Ayd	Independent	Hart II
(8)	File:Henry Ayers.jpg	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor	— (5th)	13 October 1868	47	3 November 1868	47	Template:Ayd	Independent	Ayers V
12	File:Henry Strangways.jpg	Henry Strangways (1832–1920) MHA for West Torrens	— (5th) 1870 (6th)	3 November 1868	36	30 May 1870	38	Template:Ayd	Independent	Strangways I Strangways II
(10)	File:John Hart 2.jpeg	John Hart (1809–1873) MHA for The Burra	— (6th)	30 May 1870	61	10 November 1871	62	Template:Ayd	Independent	Hart III
(9)	File:ArthurBlyth.jpg	Arthur Blyth (1823–1891) MHA for Gumeracha	— (6th) 1871 (7th)	10 November 1871	48	22 January 1872	49	Template:Ayd	Independent	Blyth II
(8)	File:Henry Ayers.jpg	Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor	— (7th)	22 January 1872	51	22 July 1873	52	Template:Ayd	Independent	Ayers VI Ayers VII
(9)	File:ArthurBlyth.jpg	Arthur Blyth (1823–1891) MHA for Gumeracha	— (7th) 1875 (8th)	22 July 1873	50	3 June 1875	52	Template:Ayd	Independent	Blyth III
(11)	File:Boucat.jpg	James Boucaut (1831–1916) MHA for Encounter Bay	— (8th)	3 June 1875	44	6 June 1876	45	Template:Ayd	Independent	Boucaut II Boucaut III
13	File:John colton.jpg	John Colton (1823–1902) MHA for Noarlunga	— (8th)	6 June 1876	53	26 October 1877	54	Template:Ayd	Independent	Colton I
(11)	File:Boucat.jpg	James Boucaut (1831–1916) MHA for Encounter Bay	— (8th) 1878 (9th)	26 October 1877	46	27 September 1878	47	Template:Ayd	Independent	Boucaut IV
14	File:William Morgan (Australian politician).jpg	William Morgan (1828–1883) Councillor	— (9th) 1881 (10th)	27 September 1878	50	24 June 1881	53	Template:Ayd	Independent	Morgan
15	File:John Cox Bray.jpg	John Bray (1842–1894) MHA for East Adelaide	— (10th) 1884 (11th)	24 June 1881	39	16 June 1884	42	Template:Ayd	Independent	Bray
(13)	File:John colton.jpg	John Colton (1823–1902) MHA for Noarlunga	— (11th)	16 June 1884	61	16 June 1885	62	Template:Ayd	Independent	Colton II
16	File:John Downer (Australian politician).jpg	John Downer (1843–1915) MHA for Barossa	— (11th) 1887 (12th)	16 June 1885	42	11 June 1887	44	Template:Ayd	Independent	Downer I
17	File:Thomas playford II.jpg	Thomas Playford (1837–1915) MHA for Newcastle	— (12th)	11 June 1887	50	27 June 1889	52	Template:Ayd	Independent	Playford II I
18	File:John Cockburn (Australian politician).jpg	John Cockburn (1850–1929) MHA for Mount Barker	— (12th) 1890 (13th)	27 June 1889	39	19 August 1890	40	Template:Ayd	Liberalism	Cockburn
(17)	File:Thomas playford II.jpg	Thomas Playford (1837–1915) MHA for East Torrens	— (13th)	19 August 1890	53	21 June 1892	55	Template:Ayd	Conservatism	Playford II II
19	File:Frederick Holder1.jpg	Frederick Holder (1850–1909) MHA for Burra	— (13th)	21 June 1892	42	15 October 1892	42	Template:Ayd	Liberalism	Holder I
(16)	File:John Downer (Australian politician).jpg	John Downer (1843–1915) MHA for Barossa	— (13th)	15 October 1892	49	16 June 1893	50	Template:Ayd	Conservatism	Downer II
20	File:Charles Kingston.jpg	Charles Kingston (1850–1908) MHA for West Adelaide	1893 (14th) 1896 (15th) 1899 (16th)	16 June 1893	43	1 December 1899	49	Template:Ayd	Liberalism	Kingston
21	File:Vaiben Solomon1.jpg	Vaiben Solomon (1853–1908) MHA for Northern Territory	— (16th)	1 December 1899	46	8 December 1899	46	Template:Ayd	Conservatism	Solomon
(19)	File:Frederick Holder1.jpg	Frederick Holder (1850–1909) MHA for Burra	— (16th)	8 December 1899	49	15 May 1901	51	Template:Ayd	Liberalism	Holder II
State Government (1901–present)
22	File:JohnJenkins.jpg	John Jenkins (1851–1923) MHA for Torrens	— (16th) 1902 (17th)	15 May 1901	50	1 March 1905	54	Template:Ayd	Liberalism	Jenkins
23	File:Sir Richard Butler (Australia).jpg	Richard Butler (1850–1925) MHA for Barossa	— (17th)	1 March 1905	55	26 July 1905	55	Template:Ayd	Conservatism	Butler I
24	File:Thomas Price.jpeg	Thomas Price (1852–1909) MHA for Torrens	1905 (18th) 1906 (19th)	26 July 1905	53	31 May 1909 (†)	57	Template:Ayd	United Labor	Price
25	File:Archibald Peake.jpg	Archibald Peake (1859–1920) MHA for Victoria & Albert	— (19th)	5 June 1909	50	3 June 1910	51	Template:Ayd	Liberal & Democratic Union	Peake I
26	File:JohnVerran.jpg	John Verran (1856–1932) MHA for Wallaroo	1910 (20th)	3 June 1910	54	17 February 1912	56	Template:Ayd	United Labor	Verran
(25)	File:Archibald Peake.jpg	Archibald Peake (1859–1920)	1912 (21st)	17 February 1912	53	3 April 1915	56	Template:Ayd	Liberal Union	Peake II
27	File:CrawfordVaughan.jpg	Crawford Vaughan (1874–1947) MHA for Sturt	1915 (22nd)	3 April 1915	41	14 July 1917	43	Template:Ayd	United Labor	Vaughan
(25)	File:Archibald Peake.jpg	Archibald Peake (1859–1920)	— (22nd) 1918 (23rd)	14 July 1917	58	6 April 1920 (†)	61	Template:Ayd	Liberal Union	Peake III
28	File:Henry Barwell.jpg	Henry Barwell (1877–1959) MHA for Stanley	— (23rd) 1921 (24th)	8 April 1920	43	16 April 1924	47	Template:Ayd	Liberal Union (until 1923) Liberal Federation (from 1923)	Barwell
29	File:JohnGunn.jpg	John Gunn (1884–1959) MHA for Adelaide	1924 (25th)	16 April 1924	40	28 August 1926	42	Template:Ayd	Labor	Gunn
30	File:Lionel Hill1.JPG	Lionel Hill (1881–1963) MHA for Port Pirie	— (25th)	28 August 1926	45	8 April 1927	46	Template:Ayd	Labor	Hill I
31	File:Richard Layton Butler.jpg	Richard L. Butler (1885–1966) MHA for Wooroora	1927 (26th)	8 April 1927	42	17 April 1930	45	Template:Ayd	Liberal Federation	Butler II I
(30)	File:Lionel Hill1.JPG	Lionel Hill (1881–1963)	1930 (27th)	17 April 1930	49	13 February 1933	52	Template:Ayd	Labor	Hill II
32	File:Portrait of R.S. Richards(GN11825) (cropped).jpg	Robert Richards (1885–1967) MHA for Wallaroo	— (27th)	13 February 1933	48	18 April 1933	48	Template:Ayd	Labor	Richards
(31)	File:Richard Layton Butler.jpg	Richard L. Butler (1885–1966)	1933 (28th) 1938 (29th)	18 April 1933	48	5 November 1938	53	Template:Ayd	Liberal and Country League	Butler II II
33	File:Playford portrait 38.jpg	Thomas Playford (1896–1981) MHA for Gumeracha	— (29th) 1941 (30th) 1944 (31st) 1947 (32nd) 1950 (33rd) 1953 (34th) 1956 (35th) 1959 (36th) 1962 (37th)	5 November 1938	42	10 March 1965	69	Template:Ayd	Liberal and Country League	Playford IV I Playford IV II
34	File:FrankWalsh1963.jpg	Frank Walsh (1897–1968) MHA for Edwardstown	1965 (38th)	10 March 1965	68	1 June 1967	70	Template:Ayd	Labor	Walsh
35	File:Don Dunstan 1968 crop.jpg	Don Dunstan (1926–1999) MHA for Norwood	— (38th)	1 June 1967	41	17 April 1968	42	Template:Ayd	Labor	Dunstan I
36	File:Steele Hall 1974 (cropped).jpg	Steele Hall (1928–2024) MHA for Gouger	1968 (39th)	17 April 1968	40	2 June 1970	42	Template:Ayd	Liberal and Country League	Hall
(35)	File:Don Dunstan 1968 crop.jpg	Don Dunstan (1926–1999) MHA for Norwood	1970 (40th) 1973 (41st) 1975 (42nd) 1977 (43rd)	2 June 1970	44	15 February 1979	53	Template:Ayd	Labor	Dunstan II
37	File:Des Corcoran.jpg	Des Corcoran (1928–2004) MHA for Hartley	— (43rd)	15 February 1979	51	18 September 1979	51	Template:Ayd	Labor	Corcoran
38	File:David Tonkin.jpg	David Tonkin (1929–2000) MHA for Bragg	1979 (44th)	18 September 1979	50	10 November 1982	53	Template:Ayd	Liberal	Tonkin
39	File:John Charles Bannon 1943-2015.jpg	John Bannon (1943–2015) MHA for Ross Smith	1982 (45th) 1985 (46th) 1989 (47th)	10 November 1982	39	4 September 1992	49	Template:Ayd	Labor	Bannon
40	File:Hon Rev Dr Lynn Arnold AO speaking at the AMICUS Global Drop in Drinx event - 13.jpg	Lynn Arnold (born 1949) MHA for Ramsay	— (47th)	4 September 1992	43	14 December 1993	44	Template:Ayd	Labor	Arnold
41	File:Dean Brown.png	Dean Brown (born 1943) MHA for Finniss	1993 (48th)	14 December 1993	50	28 November 1996	53	Template:Ayd	Liberal	Brown
42	File:John Olsen (1).jpg	John Olsen (born 1945) MHA for Kavel	— (48th) 1997 (49th)	28 November 1996	51	22 October 2001	56	Template:Ayd	Liberal	Olsen
43	File:Rob Kerin.png	Rob Kerin (born 1954) MHA for Frome	— (49th)	22 October 2001	47	5 March 2002	48	Template:Ayd	Liberal	Kerin
44	File:Mike Rann (smiling).jpg	Mike Rann (born 1953) MHA for Ramsay	2002 (50th) 2006 (51st) 2010 (52nd)	5 March 2002	49	21 October 2011	58	Template:Ayd	Labor	Rann
45	File:Jay Weatherill crop.jpg	Jay Weatherill (born 1964) MHA for Cheltenham	— (52nd) 2014 (53rd)	21 October 2011	47	19 March 2018	54	Template:Ayd	Labor	Weatherill
46	File:PremierMarshall2018.jpg	Steven Marshall (born 1968) MHA for Dunstan	2018 (54th)	19 March 2018	50	21 March 2022	54	Template:Ayd	Liberal	Marshall
47	File:Peter Malinauskas (cropped).png	Peter Malinauskas (born 1980) MHA for Croydon	2022 (55th) 2026 (56th)	21 March 2022	42	—	—	Template:Ayd	Labor	Malinauskas I Malinauskas II

See also

• List of premiers of South Australia by time in office
• Deputy Premier of South Australia
• Leader of the Opposition (South Australia)

References

• Statistical Record of the Legislature 1836 – 2007

External links

• Biographies of all premiers at the SA Parliament web site
• UWA state and federal election results since 1890 Archived 18 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine