Editing Don Dunstan (section)

{{Short description|Australian politician (1926–1999)}}
{{About|the premier of South Australia|the governor of South Australia|Donald Dunstan (governor)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Don Dunstan
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC|QC}}
| image = Don Dunstan 1968 crop.jpg
| caption = Dunstan in 1968
| order = 35th [[Premier of South Australia]]
| deputy1 = [[Des Corcoran]]
| deputy2 = [[Des Corcoran]]
| term_start2 = 1 June 1967
| term_end2 = 17 April 1968
| term_start1 = 2 June 1970
| term_end1 = 15 February 1979
| monarch1 = [[Elizabeth II of Australia|Elizabeth II]]
| governor1 = {{ubl|[[James Harrison (Australian governor)|Sir James Harrison]]|[[Mark Oliphant|Sir Mark Oliphant]]|[[Douglas Nicholls|Sir Douglas Nicholls]]|[[Keith Seaman|Sir Keith Seaman]]}}
| monarch2 = [[Elizabeth II of Australia|Elizabeth II]]
| governor2 = [[Edric Bastyan|Sir Edric Bastyan]]
| predecessor2 = [[Frank Walsh]]
| predecessor1 = [[Steele Hall]]
| successor2 = [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]]
| successor1 = [[Des Corcoran]]
| order3 = [[Leader of the Opposition (South Australia)|Leader of the Opposition in South Australia]]
| deputy3 = [[Des Corcoran]]
| term_start3 = 17 April 1968
| term_end3 = 2 June 1970
| predecessor3 = [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]]
| successor3 = [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]]
| order4 = [[Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch)|Leader of the South Australian Labor Party]]
| predecessor4 = [[Frank Walsh]]
| successor4 = [[Des Corcoran]]
|deputy4 = Des Corcoran
| term_start4 = 1 June 1967
| term_end4 = 15 February 1979
| order5 = [[Treasurer of South Australia]]
| term_start5 = 2 June 1970
| term_end5 = 15 February 1975
| premier5 = Himself 
| predecessor5 = [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]]
| successor5 = [[Des Corcoran]]
| term_start6 = 1 June 1967
| term_end6 = 16 April 1968
| premier6 = Himself
| predecessor6 = [[Frank Walsh]]
| successor6 = [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]]
| order7 = 38th
| office7 = Attorney-General of South Australia
| term_start7 = 20 June 1975
| term_end7 = 9 October 1975
| premier7 = Himself
| predecessor7 = [[Len King]]
| successor7 = [[Peter Duncan (Australian politician)|Peter Duncan]]
| term_start8 = 10 March 1965
| term_end8 = 16 April 1968
| premier8 = [[Frank Walsh]] <br> Himself 
| predecessor8 = [[Colin Rowe (politician)|Colin Rowe]]
| successor8 = [[Robin Millhouse]]
| constituency_MP9 = [[Electoral district of Norwood|Norwood]]
| parliament9 = South Australian
| term_start9 = 7 March 1953
| term_end9 = 10 March 1979
| predecessor9 = [[Roy Moir]]
| successor9 = [[Greg Crafter]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|09|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Suva]], [[Colony of Fiji]]
| nationality = Australian
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|02|06|1926|09|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Norwood, South Australia]]
| party = [[Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch)|Labor]]
| spouse = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|Gretel Elsasser|1949|1974|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|Adele Koh|1976|1978|end=died}}
}}
| children = 3
| partner = Steven Cheng<br>(1986–1999)
}}

'''Donald Allan Dunstan''' {{postnominals|country=AUS|AC|QC}} (21 September 1926 – 6 February 1999) was an Australian politician who served as the 35th [[premier of South Australia]] from 1967 to 1968, and again from 1970 to 1979. He was a member of the [[Parliament of South Australia|House of Assembly]] (MHA) for the [[Electoral district of Norwood|division of Norwood]] from 1953 to 1979, and leader of the [[Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch)|South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party]] from 1967 to 1979. Before becoming premier, Dunstan served as the 38th [[Attorney-General of South Australia|attorney-general of South Australia]] and the [[treasurer of South Australia]]. He is the fourth longest serving premier in South Australian history.

In the late 1950s, Dunstan became well known for his campaign against the [[Capital punishment in Australia|death penalty]] being imposed on [[Max Stuart]], who was convicted of rape and murder of a small girl, opposing then-Premier [[Thomas Playford IV|Thomas Playford]] over the matter. During Labor's time in opposition, Dunstan was prominent in securing some reforms in [[Aboriginal rights]] and in Labor abandoning the [[White Australia policy]]. Dunstan became [[Attorney-General of South Australia|Attorney-General]] after the [[1965 South Australian state election|1965 election]], and replaced the older [[Frank Walsh]] as premier in 1967. Despite maintaining a much larger vote over the [[Liberal and Country League]] (LCL), Labor lost two seats at the [[1968 South Australian state election|1968 election]], with the LCL forming government with support of an independent. Dunstan responded by increasing his attacks on the [[Playmander]], convincing the LCL into watering down the malapportionment. With little change in Labor's vote but with the Playmander removed, Labor won 27 of 47 seats at the [[1970 South Australian state election|1970 election]], and again in [[1973 South Australian state election|1973]], [[1975 South Australian state election|1975]], and [[1977 South Australian state election|1977]].

Dunstan's socially [[Progressivism|progressive]] administration saw [[Indigenous land rights in Australia|Aboriginal land rights]] recognised, [[Gay rights in Australia#LGBT history and activism|homosexuality decriminalised]], the first female judge ([[Dame Roma Mitchell]]) appointed, the first non-British [[Governor of South Australia|governor]], Sir [[Mark Oliphant]], and later the first [[Indigenous Australian|Indigenous]] governor, Sir [[Douglas Nicholls]]. He enacted [[consumer protection]] laws, reformed and expanded the [[public education]] and health systems, abolished the death penalty, relaxed [[Censorship in Australia|censorship]] and drinking laws, created a ministry for the environment, enacted [[anti-discrimination law]], and implemented [[electoral reform]]s such as the overhaul of the [[South Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]], the [[upper house]] of [[Parliament of South Australia|Parliament]], lowered the [[voting age]] to 18, enacted [[universal suffrage]], and completely abolished [[malapportionment]]. He also established [[Rundle Mall]], enacted measures to protect buildings of [[Heritage-listed|historical heritage]], and encouraging [[the arts|arts]], with support for the [[Adelaide Festival Centre]], the [[State Theatre Company of South Australia|State Theatre Company]], and the establishment of the [[South Australian Film Corporation]].

At the same time, there were also problems; the economy began to stagnate, and the large increases to burgeoning [[public service]] generated claims of waste. One of Dunstan's pet projects, a plan to build a new city at [[Monarto, South Australia|Monarto]] to alleviate urban pressures in Adelaide, was abandoned when economic and population growth stalled, with much money and planning already invested. After four consecutive election wins, Dunstan's administration began to falter in 1978 following his dismissal of Police Commissioner Harold Salisbury, as controversy broke out over whether he had improperly interfered with a judicial investigation. In addition, policy problems and unemployment began to mount, as well as unsubstantiated rumours of corruption and personal impropriety. The strain on Dunstan was increased by the death of his wife. His resignation from the premiership and politics in 1979 was abrupt after collapsing due to ill health, but he lived for another 20 years, remaining a vocal and outspoken campaigner for progressive social policy.