Donald Dunstan ( governor ) Lieutenant General Sir Donald Beaumont Dunstan , AC , KBE , CB ( 18 February 1923 – 15 October 2011 ) was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of South Australia from 23 April 1982 until 5 February 1991 . A career officer , after joining the Army in 1940 during the Second World War , Dunstan graduated from the Royal Military College , Duntroon in 1942 and served as an infantry officer , seeing combat against the Japanese during the Bougainville Campaign in 1945 . After the war , he served in a variety of appointments , including as commander of the 1st Australian Task Force during the Vietnam War . From 1977 to 1982 he held the appointment of Chief of the General Staff , before retiring from the Army having overseen a large - scale re - organisation . Afterwards , he became the longest - serving Governor of South Australia . He died in 2011 , at the age of 88 . Military career . Born in Murray Bridge , South Australia , on 18 February 1923 , Dunstan joined the Australian Army and was accepted into the Royal Military College , Duntroon in February 1940 amidst the backdrop of the Second World War . A career officer , after graduating from Duntroon in June 1942 , having completed a cut - down 18 month version of the normally four - year course , Dunstan was allocated to the infantry and posted to the 27th Battalion , a South Australian Militia unit known as the South Australian Scottish Regiment . He subsequently served with the 27th until the end of the war , expect for a brief period when he was seconded to headquarters 23rd Brigade . With the 27th Battalion , Dunstan saw combat against the Japanese during the Bougainville Campaign in 1945 , and received a Mention in Despatches for his actions while commanding a platoon . After the war , he served as a staff officer in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan following the war , transferring to the newly established Australian Regular Army in 1947 . Upon returning to Australia in 1948 , Dunstan married Beryl Dunningham and was posted to Keswick Barracks in Adelaide , South Australia , where he served on the staff of the 4th Miltiary District . Dunstan was then posted to the 1st Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment ( 1 RAR ) as second - in - command in 1953 . He then saw service in Korea including a period as Military Assistant to the Commander in Chief of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea . Between May 1964 and February 1965 , Dunstan commanded 1 RAR , before later holding an appointment at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion . Having reached the rank of colonel , in early 1968 he was deployed to Vietnam as deputy commander of the 1st Australian Task Force ( 1 ATF ) . He took over from Brigadier Ron Hughes as Commander of the 1 ATF on 21 May 1968 during the Battle of Coral – Balmoral . For his services during this battle , he was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in 1969 . That year he returned to Australia and on promotion to brigadier took over the 10th Task Force , which was based in New South Wales . He attended the Imperial Defence College in London in 1970 and afterwards he was promoted to major general and appointed Commander of Australian Forces in Vietnam . He remained in the country throughout 1971 and 1972 and oversaw the withdrawal of Australian forces , for which he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath . His next appointments were Chief of Materiel in Army Headquarters ( 1972 – 74 ) and General Officer Commanding Field Forces ( 1974 – 77 ) . In 1977 , having been raised to the rank of lieutenant general , he became Chief of the General Staff ( CGS ) , being extended in that capacity twice before retiring from the Army in 1982 . During his time as CGS , Dunstan reorganised the Army around the concept of specialised brigades and worked to improve the readiness of Army units to meet rapidly developing threats . This work later proved pivitol in ensuring the success of the Australian intervention in East Timor in 1999 . His service as service chief was recognised by his appointment as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1980 . Later life . Following his retirement from the Army , Dunstan returned to South Australia , assuming the appointment of Governor of South Australia . The longest holder of that appointment , he retired from the role in 1991 . For his work , he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia that same year . He died in Adelaide on 15 October 2011 , and was given a state funeral . Honours and awards . Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan was decorated with the following honours :