South Australia

How it all started

• South Australia was first occupied by Europeans in 1836. It was unusual since this colony was to be a planned settlement without convicts.

• From 1842 it was administered by 8 Member Legislative Council consisting of the Governor and 7 nominated Members.

• In 1851 the Legislative Council was enlarged to 24 Members. Eight of these Members were chosen by the Governer while 16 were elected by adult males who owned land or paid rent in the colony.

• The South Australian Constitution Bill was passed by the Legislative Council in 1855 and was agreed to by Britain in 1856. This Bill created a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly.

• Responsible government began in South Australia in 1857. In this year the 18 Members of the Legislative Council were elected by adult males who owned land in the colony. All adult males were allowed to vote for the 36 Member House of Assembly.

• South Australians voted for federation by a very large majority. The Premier, Charles Kingston, was a strong supporter of federation and played an important role in drafting the Australian Constitution. Although he was the leader of a colony with a very small population, Kingston was not in favour of a strong federal Senate. He supported the efforts made by Victoria and New South Wales to limit the power of the Senate to control money.

About Parliament

• South Australia's Parliament has two Houses. The Upper House is the Legislative Council. The Lower House is the House of Assembly. There are important differences between the two Houses. The government of the day is formed in the Lower House. The Upper House is often called 'the House of Review'.

• There are currently 22 Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs). For Legislative Council elections, the whole State of South Australia acts as a single electorate from which all MLCs are elected. That is, there are no separate electorates or provinces. All voters may choose to vote for any of the available candidates.

• To ensure that not all the MLCs are changed at once, eleven members are elected at each Legislative Council election. Casual vacancies are filled by people chosen at a joint sitting of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly.

• Members of the House of Assembly are known as MHAs. One MHA is elected by each of South Australia's 47 electoral districts.

• Members of both Houses are elected by secret ballot. Members of the House of Assembly are elected using a preferential voting system, while Members of the Legislative Council are elected under a form of proportional representation. The term for MPs is 3 to 4 years, while the term for MLCs is 6 to 8 years.

Who votes?

• Voting in South Australian State elections is open to all citizens aged 18 years or over. Until 1942, voting for both South Australian Houses of Parliament was voluntary. In 1942, voting in House of Assembly elections was made compulsory for all people listed on the State electoral roll. These conditions were applied to the Legislative Council in 1985.

• Enrolment to vote in South Australian State elections is voluntary, but electors must vote once they are enrolled. In reality, this means that almost everyone who is eligible must vote because it is compulsory in all states for citizens aged 18 and over to be enrolled on the Federal electoral roll and the Federal and State electoral rolls are the same.

• DID YOU KNOW In 1894 South Australia became the first Australian State to give women the right to vote and to stand for Parliament?

State Government

• The Head of State in South Australian is the Queen who appoints the Governor as her representative. The Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Premier of South Australia. Since the Australia Act was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament and the British Parliament in 1986, there are no legal links between the Australian State Governors and the government of England.

• The functions of the Governor fall mainly into three categories constitutional and statutory duties, formal ceremonial duties, and non-ceremonial social duties. One of the Governor's constitutional and statutory tasks is to give the Royal Assent to Bills which have been passed by both Houses of Parliament. This must be done before a Bill can become law.

• The head of the South Australian Government is the Premier. The Premier is the leader of the party or coalition of parties that can command the most votes in the House of Assembly.

• The Premier is assisted by a group of Ministers, who make up the Cabinet. Ministers, who usually belong to the same party or coalition as the Premier, run a number of government departments, called a portfolio. Together, the Governor, the Premier and the Cabinet Ministers make up the Executive Council.

• The number of Ministers has varied over time. In 1997 the number of Ministers increased from 13 to 15. Eleven of these Ministers are Cabinet Ministers.

Local Government

• South Australia has 69 local councils; 18 metropolitan councils and 51country councils. The number of members on each council is decided by the council itself.

• South Australia's councils have the power to make laws called by-laws. They make decisions on local, town or city matters, such as street signs and traffic control; drains, footpaths; sports grounds; childcare centres, libraries; rubbish collection; animal control; building permits; and the collection of local taxes known as rates.

• Voting in council elections is not compulsory. Everyone listed on the State electoral roll is allowed to vote. The councils also have a list of other voters, including non-naturalised citizens and rate payers who live in other council areas.

• Some local councils elect councillors using the optional preferential voting system and some use the system of proportional representation.

State symbols

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet, South Australia has given permission for their State's insignia and emblems to be reproduced for educational purposes.

	The South Australian Coat of Arms was granted in 1984 by Queen Elizabeth II, replacing Arms granted by King Edward VIII in 1936. The shield shows the State Badge, the State's Floral Emblem, and the State Colours.
	The South Australian flag was made official on 13 January 1904. It consists of the blue ensign, showing the Southern Cross, together with the State Badge.
	The State Badge was made official in 1904. It shows the piping shrike, or magpie, standing on a gum tree staff.
	The State's official colours are red, blue and gold.
	The Parliament House of South Australia is on the corner of North Terrace and King William Street, next to the site of the first, original building. Built of Kapunda marble on granite, the Parliament House was constructed in two stages, 50 years apart.
	In 1961 the Sturt's Desert Pea was made the State Flower Emblem of South Australia.
	The Hairy-nosed, or Plains Wombat, was made the State Animal Emblem in 1970.
	Opal was adopted as the Gemstone Emblem of South Australia in 1985.

Fact file

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South Australia (Self-government from 1857)