Refugee to be next SA Governor

Vietnamese refugee Hieu Van Le is to be South Australia's next Governor.

Hieu Van Le-001.jpg
In 1977, a boat carrying Vietnamese asylum seekers nudged Australia's shores near Darwin.

One of its passengers, Hieu Van Le, has never forgotten his first greeting, when two men in a tinny called out "g'day mate".

Since that point, Mr Le says he's always felt welcome in Australia and strived to contribute his best to his new home.

He settled in Adelaide, becoming a business and community leader, and even named his sons Don and Kim after cricketing stars Don Bradman and Kim Hughes.

Some 36 years later, Mr Le has been named South Australia's next Governor - and is believed to have been the first Vietnamese refugee worldwide to hold a vice regal role.

Mr Le told Karen Ashford he hopes his appointment shines a light on the contribution of refugees to Australia.

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By Karen Ashford


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