Governor of South Australia
In 1919, Weigall accepted an appointment as Governor of South Australia. He was appointed KCMG in 1920, and soon left for Adelaide, arriving in June. He very quickly became disenchanted with the State Parliament; he became extremely frustrated with the way in which ministers would spend money before being granted supply, or transfer funds voted for one purpose to another. Although never explicitly calling for the abolition of the States, he did describe the results of the division of power in Australia as being "farcical" and "chaotic", and concluded that "State Governors and State Legislatures are now anachronisms".
Weigall sought leave to resign in December 1921, citing "personal and financial" reasons. The Colonial Office had wrongly informed him that the State Government would pay the wages of his staff. This was not the case, and this left Weigall a wage of merely ₤300. His departure prompted Premier Henry Barwell to raise the Governor's salary.
Due to the times, many of the war memorials in country towns around South Australia were opened by him as he travelled around the state, it being only a few years after the end of World War I. These include laying the foundation stone at Burra, unveiling the memorial at Hallett, and opening the new tennis courts at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide.
Weigall Oval in the suburb of Plympton, and Weigall (formerly Woolshed Flat) along the River Murray were both named in his honour.
Read more about this topic: Archibald Weigall
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