| His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin John Scarce AC CSC RANR |
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|---|---|
| 34th Governor of South Australia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 8 August 2007 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Premier | Mike Rann 2007-11 Jay Weatherill 2011- |
| Lieutenant | Hieu Van Le |
| Preceded by | Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 May 1952 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Anne Taylor |
| Children | Kasha Scarce LCDR Kingsley Scarce |
| Residence | Government House, Adelaide |
| Alma mater | University of New England |
| Profession | Naval officer |
| Website | http://www.governor.sa.gov.au/ |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Royal Australian Navy |
| Years of service | 1968–2007 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Unit | HMAS Sydney HMAS Watson |
| Commands | HMAS Cerberus |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Conspicuous Service Cross (1994) |
Rear Admiral Kevin John Scarce, AC, CSC, RANR (born 4 May 1952)[1] is a retired officer of the Royal Australian Navy and the Governor of South Australia. He succeeded Marjorie Jackson-Nelson as Governor on 8 August 2007. He is also the Chief Scout of South Australia.
As Governor of South Australia he serves as the patron of many organisations including Foundation Daw Park, fundraising arm of the Repatriation General Hospital,[2] the Victoriana Society of South Australia and the Royal Automobile Association.[3]
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Born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1952, Scarce spent his early childhood in Woomera and attended Elizabeth East Primary School and Elizabeth High School. Joining the navy in 1968, Scarce served during the Vietnam War on the troop transport HMAS Sydney.[4]
In 1975, he married Elizabeth Anne Taylor while posted at HMAS Watson. They have two adult children, Kasha (born in 1978) and Kingsley (born in 1980). Kasha works as a social worker in Sydney and Kingsley serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy.
After the war, Scarce's naval career specialised in military logistics and procurement, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral and head of Maritime Systems at the Defence Materiel Organisation. Scarce also served as the commander of HMAS Cerberus between 1995 and 1997.
As head of the South Australian government's Defence Unit, he was responsible for South Australia's winning bid for a A$6 billion defence contract to build three air warfare destroyers for the Australian Defence Force.[5]
On 3 May 2007, it was announced that Rear Admiral Scarce would become Governor of South Australia – the Queen's representative in the state, although after his appointment he broke the tenets of viceregal impartiality by publicly stating that he is an avowed supporter of an Australian republic.[6] When appointed, he was the youngest South Australian-born Governor and the first Royal Australian Navy officer appointed to the position.[3]
| Companion of the Order of Australia (General Division) (AC) | (2008) | |
| Officer of the Order of Australia (Military Division) (AO) | (2004) | |
| Member of the Order of Australia (Military Division) (AM) | (2001) | |
| Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) | (1994) | |
| Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ) | (2007) | |
| Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 | ||
| Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal | ||
| Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps | 35 years service | |
| Australian Defence Medal |
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by Marjorie Jackson-Nelson |
Governor of South Australia 2007–present |
Incumbent |
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