# Premier of South Australia

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.

## 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 conjuction with that of Chief Secretary of South Australia, a role that had existed since colonsiation, but by the 1890's, 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
| No. | Portrait | Name Birth–death Constituency | Election Parliament | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| No. | Portrait | Name Birth–death Constituency | Election Parliament | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Ministry |
| Colonial Government (1856–1901) |||||||||
| 1 | | Boyle Finniss (1807–1893) MHA for Adelaide | 1857 (1st) | 24 October 1856 | 21 August 1857 | 301 days | Independent | Finniss |
| 2 | | John Baker (1813–1872) Councillor | — (1st) | 21 August 1857 | 1 September 1857 | 11 days | Independent | Baker |
| 3 | | Robert Richard Torrens (1814–1884) MHA for Adelaide | — (1st) | 1 September 1857 | 30 September 1857 | 29 days | Independent | Torrens |
| 4 | | Richard Hanson (1805–1876) MHA for Adelaide | — (1st) | 30 September 1857 | 9 May 1860 | 2 years, 222 days | Independent | Hanson |
| 5 | | Thomas Reynolds (1818–1875) MHA for Adelaide | 1860 (2nd) | 9 May 1860 | 8 October 1861 | 1 year, 152 days | Independent | Reynolds (1st) Reynolds (2nd) |
| 6 | | George Waterhouse (1824–1906) Councillor | — (2nd) 1862 (3rd) | 8 October 1861 | 4 July 1863 | 1 year, 269 days | Independent | Waterhouse (1st) Waterhouse (2nd) |
| 7 | | Francis Dutton (1818–1877) MHA for Light | — (3rd) | 4 July 1863 | 15 July 1863 | 11 days | Independent | Dutton (1st) |
| 8 | | Henry Ayers (1821–1897) Councillor | — (3rd) | 15 July 1863 | 4 August 1864 | 1 year, 20 days | Independent | Ayers (1st) Ayers (2nd) |
| 9 | | Arthur Blyth (1823–1891) MHA for Gumeracha | — (3rd) | 4 August 1864 | 22 March 1865 | 230 days | Independent | Blyth (1st) |
| (7) | | Francis Dutton | 1865 (4th) | 22 March 1865 | 20 September 1865 | 182 days | Independent | Dutton (2nd) |
| (8) | | Henry Ayers | — (4th) | 20 September 1865 | 23 October 1865 | 33 days | Independent | Ayers (3rd) |
| 10 | | John Hart (1809–1873) MHA for Port Adelaide | — (4th) | 23 October 1865 | 28 March 1866 | 156 days | Independent | Hart (1st) |
| 11 | | James Boucaut (1831–1916) MHA for Encounter Bay | — (4th) | 28 March 1866 | 3 May 1867 | 1 year, 36 days | Independent | Boucaut (1st) |
| (8) | | Henry Ayers | — (4th) 1868 (5th) | 3 May 1867 | 24 September 1868 | 1 year, 144 days | Independent | Ayers (4th) |
| (10) | | John Hart MHA for Light | — (5th) | 24 September 1868 | 13 October 1868 | 19 days | Independent | Hart (2nd) |
| (8) | | Henry Ayers | — (5th) | 13 October 1868 | 3 November 1868 | 21 days | Independent | Ayers (5th) |
| 12 | | Henry Strangways (1832–1920) MHA for West Torrens | — (5th) 1870 (6th) | 3 November 1868 | 30 May 1870 | 1 year, 208 days | Independent | Strangways (1st) Strangways (2nd) |
| (10) | | John Hart MHA for The Burra | — (6th) | 30 May 1870 | 10 November 1871 | 1 year, 164 days | Independent | Hart (3rd) |
| (9) | | Arthur Blyth | — (6th) 1871 (7th) | 10 November 1871 | 22 January 1872 | 73 days | Independent | Blyth (2nd) |
| (8) | | Henry Ayers | — (7th) | 22 January 1872 | 22 July 1873 | 1 year, 151 days | Independent | Ayers (6th) Ayers (7th) |
| (9) | | Arthur Blyth | — (7th) 1875 (8th) | 22 July 1873 | 3 June 1875 | 1 year, 316 days | Independent | Blyth (3rd) |
| (11) | | James Boucaut | — (8th) | 3 June 1875 | 6 June 1876 | 1 year, 3 days | Independent | Boucaut (2nd) Boucaut (3rd) |
| 13 | | John Colton (1823–1902) MHA for Noarlunga | — (8th) | 6 June 1876 | 26 October 1877 | 1 year, 142 days | Independent | Colton (1st) |
| (11) | | James Boucaut | — (8th) 1878 (9th) | 26 October 1877 | 27 September 1878 | 336 days | Independent | Boucaut (4th) |
| 14 | | William Morgan (1828–1883) Councillor | — (9th) 1881 (10th) | 27 September 1878 | 24 June 1881 | 2 years, 270 days | Independent | Morgan |
| 15 | | John Bray (1842–1894) MHA for East Adelaide | — (10th) 1884 (11th) | 24 June 1881 | 16 June 1884 | 2 years, 358 days | Independent | Bray |
| (13) | | John Colton | — (11th) | 16 June 1884 | 16 June 1885 | 1 year, 0 days | Independent | Colton (2nd) |
| 16 | | John Downer (1843–1915) MHA for Barossa | — (11th) 1887 (12th) | 16 June 1885 | 11 June 1887 | 1 year, 360 days | Independent | Downer (1st) |
| 17 | | Thomas Playford (1837–1915) MHA for Newcastle | — (12th) | 11 June 1887 | 27 June 1889 | 2 years, 16 days | Independent | Playford II (1st) |
| 18 | | John Cockburn (1850–1929) MHA for Mount Barker | — (12th) 1890 (13th) | 27 June 1889 | 19 August 1890 | 1 year, 53 days | Liberalism | Cockburn |
| (17) | | Thomas Playford MHA for East Torrens | — (13th) | 19 August 1890 | 21 June 1892 | 1 year, 307 days | Conservatism | Playford II (2nd) |
| 19 | | Frederick Holder (1850–1909) MHA for Burra | — (13th) | 21 June 1892 | 15 October 1892 | 116 days | Liberalism | Holder (1st) |
| (16) | | John Downer | — (13th) | 15 October 1892 | 16 June 1893 | 244 days | Conservatism | Downer (2nd) |
| 20 | | Charles Kingston (1850–1908) MHA for West Adelaide | 1893 (14th) 1896 (15th) 1899 (16th) | 16 June 1893 | 1 December 1899 | 6 years, 168 days | Liberalism | Kingston |
| 21 | | Vaiben Solomon (1853–1908) MHA for Northern Territory | — (16th) | 1 December 1899 | 8 December 1899 | 7 days | Conservatism | Solomon |
| (19) | | Frederick Holder | — (16th) | 8 December 1899 | 15 May 1901 | 1 year, 158 days | Liberalism | Holder (2nd) |
| State Government (1901–present) |||||||||
| 22 | | John Jenkins (1851–1923) MHA for Torrens | — (16th) 1902 (17th) | 15 May 1901 | 1 March 1905 | 3 years, 290 days | Liberalism | Jenkins |
| 23 | | Richard Butler (1850–1925) MHA for Barossa | — (17th) | 1 March 1905 | 26 July 1905 | 147 days | Conservatism | Butler I |
| 24 | | Thomas Price (1852–1909) MHA for Torrens | 1905 (18th) 1906 (19th) | 26 July 1905 | 5 June 1909 | 3 years, 314 days | United Labor | Price |
| 25 | | Archibald Peake (1859–1920) MHA for Victoria & Albert | — (19th) | 5 June 1909 | 3 June 1910 | 363 days | Liberal & Democratic Union | Peake (1st) |
| 26 | | John Verran (1856–1932) MHA for Wallaroo | 1910 (20th) | 3 June 1910 | 17 February 1912 | 1 year, 259 days | United Labor | Verran |
| (25) | | Archibald Peake (1859–1920) | 1912 (21st) | 17 February 1912 | 3 April 1915 | 3 years, 45 days | Liberal Union | Peake (2nd) |
| 27 | | Crawford Vaughan (1874–1947) MHA for Sturt | 1915 (22nd) | 3 April 1915 | 14 July 1917 | 2 years, 102 days | United Labor | Vaughan |
| (25) | | Archibald Peake (1859–1920) | — (22nd) 1918 (23rd) | 14 July 1917 | 8 April 1920 | 2 years, 269 days | Liberal Union | Peake (3rd) |
| 28 | | Henry Barwell (1877–1959) MHA for Stanley | — (23rd) 1921 (24th) | 8 April 1920 | 16 April 1924 | 4 years, 8 days | Liberal Union (until 1923) Liberal Federation (from 1923) | Barwell |
| 29 | | John Gunn (1884–1959) MHA for Adelaide | 1924 (25th) | 16 April 1924 | 28 August 1926 | 2 years, 134 days | Labor | Gunn |
| 30 | | Lionel Hill (1881–1963) MHA for Port Pirie | — (25th) | 28 August 1926 | 8 April 1927 | 223 days | Labor | Hill (1st) |
| 31 | | Richard L. Butler (1885–1966) MHA for Wooroora | 1927 (26th) | 8 April 1927 | 17 April 1930 | 3 years, 9 days | Liberal Federation | Butler II (1st) |
| (30) | | Lionel Hill (1881–1963) | 1930 (27th) | 17 April 1930 | 13 February 1933 | 2 years, 302 days | Labor | Hill (2nd) |
| 32 | | Robert Richards (1885–1967) MHA for Wallaroo | — (27th) | 13 February 1933 | 18 April 1933 | 64 days | Labor | Richards |
| (31) | | Richard L. Butler (1885–1966) | 1933 (28th) 1938 (29th) | 18 April 1933 | 5 November 1938 | 5 years, 201 days | Liberal and Country League | Butler II (2nd) |
| 33 | | 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 | 10 March 1965 | 26 years, 125 days | Liberal and Country League | Playford IV (1st) Playford IV (2nd) |
| 34 | | Frank Walsh (1897–1968) MHA for Edwardstown | 1965 (38th) | 10 March 1965 | 1 June 1967 | 2 years, 83 days | Labor | Walsh |
| 35 | | Don Dunstan (1926–1999) MHA for Norwood | — (38th) | 1 June 1967 | 17 April 1968 | 321 days | Labor | Dunstan (1st) |
| 36 | | Steele Hall (1928–2024) MHA for Gouger | 1968 (39th) | 17 April 1968 | 2 June 1970 | 2 years, 46 days | Liberal and Country League | Hall |
| (35) | | Don Dunstan | 1970 (40th) 1973 (41st) 1975 (42nd) 1977 (43rd) | 2 June 1970 | 15 February 1979 | 8 years, 258 days | Labor | Dunstan (2nd) |
| 37 | | Des Corcoran (1928–2004) MHA for Hartley | — (43rd) | 15 February 1979 | 18 September 1979 | 215 days | Labor | Corcoran |
| 38 | | David Tonkin (1929–2000) MHA for Bragg | 1979 (44th) | 18 September 1979 | 10 November 1982 | 3 years, 53 days | Liberal | Tonkin |
| 39 | | John Bannon (1943–2015) MHA for Ross Smith | 1982 (45th) 1985 (46th) 1989 (47th) | 10 November 1982 | 4 September 1992 | 9 years, 299 days | Labor | Bannon |
| 40 | | Lynn Arnold (born 1949) MHA for Ramsay | — (47th) | 4 September 1992 | 14 December 1993 | 1 year, 101 days | Labor | Arnold |
| 41 | | Dean Brown (born 1943) MHA for Finniss | 1993 (48th) | 14 December 1993 | 28 November 1996 | 2 years, 350 days | Liberal | Brown |
| 42 | | John Olsen (born 1945) MHA for Kavel | — (48th) 1997 (49th) | 28 November 1996 | 22 October 2001 | 4 years, 328 days | Liberal | Olsen |
| 43 | | Rob Kerin (born 1954) MHA for Frome | — (49th) | 22 October 2001 | 5 March 2002 | 165 days | Liberal | Kerin |
| 44 | | Mike Rann (born 1953) MHA for Ramsay | 2002 (50th) 2006 (51st) 2010 (52nd) | 5 March 2002 | 21 October 2011 | 9 years, 230 days | Labor | Rann |
| 45 | | Jay Weatherill (born 1964) MHA for Cheltenham | — (52nd) 2014 (53rd) | 21 October 2011 | 19 March 2018 | 6 years, 149 days | Labor | Weatherill |
| 46 | | Steven Marshall (born 1968) MHA for Dunstan | 2018 (54th) | 19 March 2018 | 21 March 2022 | 4 years, 2 days | Liberal | Marshall |
| 47 | | Peter Malinauskas (born 1980) MHA for Croydon | 2022 (55th) | 21 March 2022 | — | 2 years, 304 days | Labor | Malinauskas |

## 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.