Jess Adamson: How lucky we are to have one of Australia’s most accomplished and respected diplomats

I am utterly amazed at how much the SA Governor Frances Adamson has squeezed in to the past 243 days, writes Jess Adamson.

I had the privilege of spending an hour at Government House Monday night.

I used the first 15 minutes to work out which room my extended family and I might enjoy Christmas lunch in after recently establishing that the Governor, Her Excellency, Frances Adamson, AC, is in fact … well, family.

When I say family … it’s kind of distant. But you know, we do share the same last name and my family does love a big Christmas.

My visit got me thinking about just how fortunate we’ve been with our Vice Regal appointments in South Australia.

And right now, in the face of enormous global uncertainty, how lucky we are to have one of Australia’s most accomplished and respected diplomats as our local head of state.

Today marks eight months since Frances Jennifer Adamson was sworn in as our 36th Governor.

I am utterly amazed at how much she has squeezed in to those 243 days.

Everywhere I look, she is there.

Every time I turn on the radio or TV, she is there – listening to South Australians and creating opportunities.

SA Governor Frances Adamson with her dog Alfie at Government House. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

A quick glance at The Advertiser’s Vice Regal column or the Governor’s official Instagram page will have your head spinning at the number of meetings, phone calls and functions Her Excellency has undertaken since being sworn in last October.

She has attended 729 engagements so far, that’s at least three a day.

She’s visited 30 schools with a bold plan to tour all 280 secondary campuses in SA before her term is up.

She is the patron to 140 organisations and that number is growing.

She’s welcomed 12,312 visitors to Government House.

And importantly, she’s embarked on eight regional visits including Kangaroo Island, the Riverland, the Mid North and the South-East.

A plan to visit even more country towns and communities by the end of the year is soon to be released.

These are extraordinary numbers given we’ve been living through a pandemic with restrictions on almost every move we’ve made.

She’s not doing it alone.

Her Excellency is the first female SA Governor to have a partner living at Government House. Husband Rod, an Oxford University physics graduate, former British diplomat and high school teacher, is most often by her side – and they are a formidable team. They are warm, funny and interested.

On Sunday, they and two of their daughters, Katherine and Sophie, welcomed 1400 guests for tea and scones at Government House in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

In that wild weather, guests queued up out the gate and along North Tce for the chance to go inside.

The Governor stood at the front door for four hours, personally welcoming each and every person.

The family’s Vice Regal hound, Alfie the Cavoodle, was there too.

He’s found his move from suburban Canberra to Lot 303 North Tce slightly overwhelming, but he’s getting the hang of it.

Like those before them, Her Excellency and Mr Bunten are determined to open the doors of Government House as often as possible.

“We want to reach people whose life chances wouldn’t ordinarily have them walking through the state entrance of Government House,’’ Her Excellency told me this week.

“It is a house for all South Australians, we’re just privileged to be able to live here.” The couple have an ambitious and likely impossible plan to meet all 1.7 million of us by the end of their term, as many as possible at Government House.

The Governor’s life travelling the globe as an international diplomat and a mother of four has prepared her well for long days and nights.

She is authentic, accessible and adaptable.

She’s swapped her high heels for sandshoes to join the Mother’s Day Classic, presented countless awards to students and community achievers, entertained international visitors, presided over dozens of Executive Council meetings and served meals at the Hutt St Centre.

She is passionate about leadership, gender equality, supporting Indigenous Australians with a focus on reconciliation, our regions and our business community.

Supplied Editorial Rowing shot of Her Excellency the Governor Frances Adamson

She’s drawing on her network and diplomacy skills to maximise opportunities for SA on the international stage while remaining “clear eyed” about the challenges we face.

And she’s been moved by the sense of community in SA, a “roll up your sleeves and get it done” kind of attitude.

When former Governor Hieu Van Le’s term came to an end last year, I wondered how we could ever replace him and his delightful wife, Mrs Lan Le. Their journey to Adelaide from war-torn Vietnam “with an invisible suitcase filled with dreams” won our hearts from the very beginning.

How can you not love a man who allowed Mark Soderstrom and I to hold a backyard cricket match for children living with cancer on that iconic lawn?

It was lucky for us the former Governor was a cricket tragic who had named his two sons, Kim and Don, after Kim Hughes and Don Bradman.

Rumour has it all three had a practice run on the new pitch the night before the game.

It is impossible to compare the work of any of our Governors – each have brought something unique and deeply personal to the role.

Dame Roma Mitchell, AC, Sir Eric Neal, AC, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, and Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, AC, all have served SA with distinction.

Philip Payton’s recent book, Vice Regal, speaks of the rich history of this distinguished role in our state.

“On balance, South Australia has been extremely well served by its first 35 Governors,” he says.

There is little doubt, that in time, the same will also be said of our 36th Governor. I look forward to raising a glass to that at Christmas.