Leading historian Professor Philip Payton, from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, has published a new book that chronicles the lives and legacies of South Australian Governors.

In Vice-Regal: A History of the Governors of South Australia, Professor Payton charts the evolution of the vice-regal role from its beginning in 1836 to the present, and tells the story of Government House and other Vice-Regal residences, specifically Marble Hill which was all but destroyed on ‘Black Sunday’ in 1955.

The lively history of all 35 Governors, of which only two have been women, is chronicled, is chronicled, revealing their personalities, passions and achievements, with the occasional hint of scandal.

The wives and family members of Governors are also under the spotlight in Professor Payton’s comprehensive book. An excerpt from the book was featured in the SA Weekend lift-out in The Advertiser last Saturday (21 August, 2021).

Professor Payton has also recently published an edited volume of his successful Cornwall in the Age of Rebellion 1490-1690, an in-depth investigation into the early history of Cornwall.