{{Short description|Governor of South Australia from 1977 to 1982}} {{for|the Arizona politician|Keith Seaman (Arizona politician)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Reverend Sir | name = Keith Seaman | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=|KCVO|OBE}} | image = | caption = | order = Governor of South Australia | term_start = 1 September 1977 | term_end = 28 March 1982 | monarch = Elizabeth II | premier = Don Dunstan (1977–79)<br />Des Corcoran (1979)<br />David Tonkin (1979–82) | predecessor = Sir Douglas Nicholls | successor = Sir Donald Dunstan | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1920|6|11}} | birth_place = McLaren Vale, South Australia | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2013|6|30|1920|6|11}} | death_place = Tasmania, Australia }} '''Sir Keith Douglas Seaman''' {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=|KCVO|OBE}} (11 June 1920 – 30 June 2013) was Governor of South Australia from 1 September 1977 until 28 March 1982.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/former-south-australian-governor-sir-keith-seaman-dies-aged-93/story-fnii5yv8-1226673188039|title=Former South Australian governor Sir Keith Seaman dies, aged 93|publisher=perthnow.com.au|date=2 July 2013}}</ref> He was the second successive governor to have been a minister of religion, Seaman being a minister in then recently merged Uniting Church in Australia.
==Life== Seaman was born in McLaren Vale, South Australia, on 11 June 1920.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89188841 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=19 June 1920 |accessdate=2 July 2013 |page=27 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> His father was Eli Semmens Seaman (1881-1956) and his mother was Ethel Maud Morgan (1883-1930). He was the 7th of their 8 children.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Hansard Daily: House of Assembly - Thursday, July 4 2013 |url=https://hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au/daily/lh/2013-07-04/5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618234410/https://hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au/daily/lh/2013-07-04/5 |archive-date=18 June 2024 |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> His paternal grandfather, Philip Seaman (1841-1916), was born in Suffolk, UK, before migrating to South Australia and having 12 children.
Seaman attended Adelaide University.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Debelle |first=Penelope |date=2 July 2013 |title=Former South Australian governor Sir Keith Seaman dies, aged 93. |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/former-south-australian-governor-sir-keith-seaman-dies-aged-93-/news-story/bc039260f704a7f5d28c2785a3745b79 |website=Adelaidenow}}</ref> He enlisted in February 1940 and served in World War II as a flight lieutenant for the RAAF.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Keith Douglas SEAMAN |url=https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/510246 |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=vwma.org.au |language=English}}</ref> After the war, he continued his studies of arts and laws part-time.<ref name=":1" />
In 1954, he became an ordained Methodist minister in Renmark and worked at the Central Methodist Mission from 1958 to 1977.<ref name=":0" /> He eventually became superintendent of the Adelaide CMM (now Uniting Communities, formerly UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide), and in 1973 was a member of the National Commission on Social Welfare under Marie Coleman which was set up by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Seaman was a conservative selection as governor. His term as governor was not without controversy. On 24 February 1978, ''The Advertiser'' in Adelaide reported that he was about to be dismissed. He was not, but was forced to admit that he had committed a "grave impropriety" prior to his appointment; it had been examined by the Uniting Church discipline committee and he had been allowed to continue his ministry.
==Personal life== Seaman married Joan Isabel Birbeck (5 November 1922 – 20 October 2008). They had 2 children and 10 grandchildren.<ref name=":0" /> While governor, he was made a Knight of the Royal Victorian Order (a British award) by Queen Elizabeth. He died at his home in Hobart in June 2013, aged 93.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deaths – SEAMAN, Sir Keith. |url=http://www.newsclassifieds.com.au/Death-Notices-Funerals/adelaide/SA/Deaths/SEAMAN-Sir-Keith-_/3087568V5 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130702034915/http://www.newsclassifieds.com.au/Death-Notices-Funerals/adelaide/SA/Deaths/SEAMAN-Sir-Keith-_/3087568V5 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 July 2013 |accessdate=2 July 2013 |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=2 July 2013 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060314030516/http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/EdDesk.nsf/All/4ADCDC5076A41A61CA256B67007F3ADA |date=March 14, 2006 |title=''Queen to bishop'' }}, The Bulletin, 2002. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050719182401/http://www.whitlam.org/collection/1973/19730403_PM_Press_Conference/ Prime Minister's press conference, 3 April 1973], announcing National Commission on Social Welfare. www.whitlam.org, retrieved 2008-10-10.
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{succession box | before=Sir Douglas Nicholls | after=Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan | title=Governor of South Australia | years=1977–1982 }} {{s-end}}
{{Governors of South Australia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seaman, Keith}} Category:Governors of South Australia Category:Uniting Church in Australia ministers Category:1920 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Australian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire