New SA Governor named COTA patron

South Australian Governor Frances Adamson has been appointed a patron of the Council on the Ageing in South Australia.

The peak body representing older South Australians has welcomed Ms Adamson and her husband Rod Bunten.

COTA SA President Emeritus Professor Anne Edwards said the patronage of both Ms Adamson and Mr Bunten showed support for COTA SA’s work in advocating for older South Australians.

“In taking on the role of COTA SA Patron, Her Excellency (Ms Adamson) elevates our work in ensuring the voices of older South Australians are heard, respected and valued,” Ms Edwards said in a statement.

Ms Adamson began her role as governor in October and is the 36th Governor of South Australia.

She has previously worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister and an Australian diplomat and was Australia’s ambassador to China from 2011 to 2015.

Last year, she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to public administration.

“It is very important to us that all South Australians have the opportunity to reach their potential and live fulfilling, meaningful lives – no matter their age or background,” she said in a statement.

Mr Bunten, a graduate of the University of Oxford, spent time with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and worked as a diplomat.

He undertook postings in New York, Taiwan and Canberra and met Ms Adamson, then an Australian diplomat, while they were both posted in Hong Kong.

Mr Bunten’s second career was as a secondary school teacher of physics and mathematics.

Both Ms Adamson and Mr Bunten are in their 60s.

“[It] has been a prompt to look ahead to our future and how we wish to approach it,” Ms Adamson said.

Main image: Rod Bunten and South Australian Governor Frances Adamson (Image supplied by Government House South Australia)

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