Frances Jennifer Adamson, (born 20 April 1961) is an Australian public servant and diplomat who is the 36th Governor of South Australia, in office since 7 October 2021. She previously served as Australian Ambassador to China from 2011 to 2015 and as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2016 to 2021.
Early life and education
Adamson was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the daughter of former politician Jennifer Cashmore and prominent Adelaide businessman Ian Adamson, and step-daughter of reporter Stewart Cockburn. Her sister, Christine Adamson is a New South Wales Supreme Court judge.
Adamson was educated at the Walford Anglican School for Girls and the University of Adelaide, where she received a Bachelor of Economics. In 1984 she was the first female captain of the Adelaide University Boat Club.
Career
Diplomatic career
Adamson joined the Australian Public Service in 1985. She was an economist at the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong from 1987 to 1991, before moving to London where she worked at the Australian High Commission to the United Kingdom as a political counsellor for five years. She returned to Australia to work for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra from 1998 until 2000, and then moved to Taipei where she was Representative to the Australian Commerce and Industry Office for five years. She returned to London as Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2005 until 2008.
While in London, Adamson met Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, who asked her to become his Chief of Staff. She took the role on condition that she could manage her young family, and that as a "career diplomat" she would not get involved in politics. When Smith moved to the Defence portfolio, she went with him.
Between 2011 and 2015, Adamson held the post of Australian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, the first woman in the position. During her time there, the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement was negotiated and she has been credited with pushing the idea of partnership with the newly appointed Xi Jinping, allowing the "political and diplomatic relationships" between the two countries to "finally" catch up with the economic one.
In 2015, Adamson was appointed a foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
On 20 July 2016, she was appointed Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT); the first female Secretary to be appointed to the portfolio.
Criticisms of China
In closing her diplomatic career, Adamson was highly critical of China. In her final address, as Secretary DFAT, at the National Press Club, on 23 June 2021, Adamson warned of Chinese "insecurity and power" and advised that Australia "needs to know what it is we’re dealing with". Adamson commented that Beijing was driven by the “volatile combination” of power and insecurity and there was no chance of its outlook changing in the short-term as it suffered from a “siege mentality”. Adamson’s criticisms had been reported throughout the preceding 12 months by the media including her accusations of China seeking to “stoke ethnic divisions in Australia”.
President of the ACT Division of the Institute of Public Administration
Adamson served as president of the ACT Division of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) from 2017 to 2019 and outlined her views on public service in her final speech as president. She was made a National Fellow of IPAA in 2019.
On Wednesday 26 September 2018, IPAA ACT hosted a Secretary Address by Kathryn Campbell, then Secretary of the Department of Social Services, formerly Secretary of the Department of Human Services, and responsible for Robodebt. The event was chaired by Adamson, then Secretary of the DFAT and IPAA ACT President., In her closing chair remarks, Adamson congratulated Campbell and praised her performance as a Secretary including over Robodebt. The IPAA event was held after the completion of the Commonwealth Ombudsman Investigation into Robodebt in April 2017 and the subsequent First Senate committee inquiry which began in March 2017.