SA Governor’s Instagram influence hits new highs
She’s already blazed a remarkable trail in her four decade-long career. Now SA’s Governor is setting a new standard for her peers online.
SA News
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She has blazed a remarkable trail over nearly four decades as a diplomat and one of Australia’s top public servants – rubbing shoulders with the world’s leaders on a journey from Adelaide to Canberra and then across the globe.
And it seems Governor Frances Adamson’s stocks have risen even further as South Australians, and the state’s leaders, embrace her one year into the job.
Ms Adamson, 61, has taken the unlikely title of Australia’s vice-regal social media queen, notching up the most number of followers on Instagram of any state Governor.
At last count, she had almost 14,000 followers on her official account, which Ms Adamson started amid a wider push to invite the public into her life of service.
She boasts more than 1000 extra fans than NSW Governor Margaret Beazley and is almost 2000 higher than Queensland’s constitutional head of state, Dr Jeannette Young.
Governor-general David Hurley’s official account has almost 40,000 followers.
It may be a slightly flippant milestone, but there is a serious undertone to her efforts to open up access to, and build a better understanding of, her incredibly important role in SA life.
But more importantly, the Governor said it highlighted the exceptional and inspiring work she has witnessed all over the state, much of it by humble, quiet, achievers.
In an exclusive interview to mark Friday’s first year anniversary in the job, Ms Adamson, the country’s former chief diplomat, said Government House had no social media presence before the Queen appointed her.
“We started with Instagram and now got the largest … number of followers of any Governor in the country,” she said.
“We have built an Instagram following, broadened that to Facebook a couple of months ago and (I’m) really enjoying it … as a way of having engaging that broader group of South Australians.
“I hope to continue to grow in what a Governor does and give some prominence, if you like, to what (the public) are doing because the whole point is it’s not about me, it’s about what they’re doing and how we’re engaging.”
Ms Adamson, the former Foreign Affairs and Trade Department secretary, has been left awe-struck at the generosity and selflessness of South Australians, impressed with a “can do attitude” and a “sense of ambition”.
As patron of 155 organisations – including chief scout and honorary Air Commodore at the 24 Squadron based at the RAAF base at Edinburgh – she has been struck by the “enormous numbers” of volunteers who have “just got really big hearts and prepared to devote significant amounts of their time”.
She also praised SA’s “quiet donors and philanthropists”.
The mother of four, who is fluent in Chinese, feels “very positive” about the state’s future while a historic push to leave SA to find excitement was no longer true.
“I’ve got to say, a year in I’m even more upbeat about South Australia’s future and about the skills and commitment of just the talent that is here and often understated, actually,” she said.
“What I see is people being willing to embrace change. I see substantial innovation, including when we make rural and regional visits.
“It’s a combination of things that have historically been assets for the state and then a new ‘can do attitude’.
“It’s a real sort of sense of purpose. In many quarters, there’s a sense of ambition, and I’d like to go along with others to encourage that. I rarely hear defeatist language.
“I’ve had reasonably high expectations but they’ve been exceeded.”
In what observers say is a fourfold increase in official engagements in her punishing schedule, she has revealed an ambitious agenda in six critical areas.
Her focus is on leadership, civics in schools, international engagement that encourages curiosity about the wider world, gender equality, indigenous work and supporting business.
She admits there is much work still ahead on gender equality, especially on state government boards.
“There’s a very strong business case for gender equality,” she said. “I see a very substantial progress in the years that I’ve been away but I still see a significant way to go.
“That’s why I will continue to be supportive, that’s why I want to be known as the Governor who expects gender equality, not just … who supports gender equality.”
She has met every MP and asked them why they entered politics to help shape an understanding on leadership to help advise younger generations.
Her observations in schools and in the wider community leaves her “very confident” in the new crop of SA’s leaders.
In her wide-ranging interview, Ms Adamson also:
WARNED it was “too early” to say if Australia would become a republic but hoped there would be “an informed, respectful debate when the time comes”, although she declined to say how she voted in the 1999 referendum.
SUPPORTED reconciliation efforts and encouraged “important” Indigenous conversations.
DESCRIBED the Queen’s official mourning as “incredible”, said she was touched with the outpouring of emotion and told how she observed people switch from offering condolences messages to Queen to good luck messages to the new King.
PREDICTED King Charles III will do “very well” as monarch, who she described as a “very sincere, very intelligent and “very empathetic”.
SAID she was “sure” members of the Royal Family would visit South Australia in any future tours but would not speculate on timings.
RULED out, because of legal reasons, moving the Queen’s statute from Government House’s grounds to North Tce.
PRAISED both Premiers she has worked with, Liberal leader Steven Marshall and Labor’s Peter Malinauskas: “I think both of them are incredibly hardworking, capable and committed with a great deal of overlap. In terms of their determination to pursue South Australia’s interests, including at a national level, they’ve both been absolute standouts.”
NOTED a “smooth” transition between Liberal and Labor governments but stayed fiercely impartial and above politics.
VOWED to visit, with her husband Rod Bunten, every South Australian school – especially for a significant milestone – and council area during her five-year term.
URGED young people to not knock back opportunities and develop a “yes culture”.
PROMISED to open up Government House more to the public.
PLANNED at least two international trips later this year to boost trade and overseas ties.
REVEALED that she had warned ministers to be on top of their briefs when attending Executive Council, which is used to ratify official policy into law.
HAS taken up golf with her husband as a “playing patron” of the Royal Adelaide golf club at Seaton, in the western suburbs.
The Governor said she had a simple, but overarching message, after her first year.
“My message is to thank South Australians for just welcoming me home so warmly, welcoming Rod here as someone who didn’t grow up here,” she said. “And just being willing to work with us for the good of the state.”
Picnic on our historic lawns
Governor Frances Adamson will throw open the gates to allow more South Australians to visit her home – the country’s oldest Government House.
Ms Adamson, 61, has revealed a six-month trial for monthly public picnics, complete with entertainment, on the lawns of the 5.6ha North Terrace estate.
The Governor has approved the first two-hour bring-your-own picnic on Friday, November 4.
As part of her push to allow more people to experience its manicured grounds, she wants community bands and orchestras to be involved.
Currently there are two open days for the public a year.
But hoping to expand the picnic initiative if the trial is successful under her drive for greater transparency, she said she hoped more people would visit the 182 year-old public building.
“I’ve always said … Government house is a house for all South Australians – we have the privilege of living here at the moment,” she said.
“But nothing would make me happier than if during our term, the 1.8 million South Australians were able to visit one way or another.
“So I will start modestly with lunches on the lawns and what we’d like to do is get your community bands and orchestras involved as well so there’s a there’s a bit of music.”
She added: “We’re not looking to provide you know, professional entertainment necessarily but we are again patrons of bands and orchestras.
“We’d love to give them an opportunity to play.
“There’s nothing as good as sitting out on a picnic rug and hearing some nice music and knowing that anyone can come on a Friday lunchtime.”
Government House, on the corner of King William St, is the oldest continually occupied vice-regal residence in Australia and the state’s oldest public building.
The state’s second Governor, Lieutenant Colonel George Gawler, was its first occupant in 1840.
Official figures show more than 15,300 people have visited Government House in the first year of Ms Adamson’s five-year term.
She has hosted dozens of events, functions, meals, visits and other ceremonies in the 12-room house or its immaculate gardens, which it is understood to be among the highest in recent years.
Up to 16,000 people also signed condolence books after the Queen died early last month.
Ms Adamson, along with her husband, former British diplomat Rod Bunten, also host every public school’s captains at the end of each year.
She has also hosted every Lower and Upper House MP since the March state election. After she started her vice-regal role, Ms Adamson enlisted the Art Gallery to help update the interior artworks on loan.
“We gave them a brief saying we’d like to you to help us hang out in the house, which will set up interesting conversations between guests,” she said.
“It’s most clearly the case in the ballroom where we’ve got large portraits of King William and Queen Adelaide and then indigenous artworks hanging next to them.”
She said the relationships she formed during her former diplomatic role, culminating as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary, had helped lure the world’s leaders to Adelaide in the past 12 months, as had the new Labor government’s SA-based foreign minister, Penny Wong, and Trade Minister, Don Farrell.
Originally published as SA Governor’s Instagram influence hits new highs
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