John Olsen

42nd Premier of South Australia

John Olsen was active in rural South Australian politics and was the last mayor of Kadina before representing the area in State Parliament. He served as a member of the House of Assembly almost continuously from 1979 to 2001, with a short stint in the Australian Senate to fill a vacancy in 1990. As leader of the Liberal Party, Olsen lost the 1985 and 1989 elections, becoming premier in 1996 after a vote of the Liberal caucus. As premier, Olsen oversaw the sale of the Electricity Trust (ETSA), the development of Mawson Lakes and brought the Tour Down Under to South Australia.