just 39.1 percent of the two-party vote, and suffered a swing of 8.9 percent against it. As a result, it retained only 10 seats in a house of 47. Ross Smith was among the seats Labor retained despite suffering a 16% swing against it in its primary vote and an almost 11% swing against it in the two-party preferred vote. Later life In 1994, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation offered Bannon a directorial position, which he accepted. With an interest in South Australian history, he researched at Flinders University. He later studied and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Australian political history at Flinders University, where he was a professor. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Adelaide Law School and in 2014 he received an honorary doctorate from the University. He was Master of St Mark's College in Adelaide, from 2000 to 2007. On Australia Day 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. He wrote Supreme Federalist: The political life of Sir John Downer, which was released in 2009. Personal life Bannon's first wife was Supreme Court Justice Robyn Layton, with whom he had a daughter, Victoria. His second wife, Angela, is the mother of musician and television personality Dylan Lewis. Bannon's younger brother Nicholas died in Wilpena Pound in 1959. Bannon was a good runner, completing the Adelaide Marathon 28 times, 11 of them in less than 3 hours. His best performance was the 1983 Adelaide Marathon, which he ran in a time of 2:44:34. He was premier at the time. Death Bannon died of cancer on 13 December 2015, aged 72, and was active right up until his death. He was given a state funeral on 21 December 2015. Notes References Parkin, Andrew and Patience, Allan (1992). The Bannon Decade: The Politics of Restraint in South Australia. Allen & Unwin; . "When the state's assets fell into a black hole." The Advertiser (Adelaide). 11-04-2006 Past Elections, Australian Broadcasting Corporation; accessed 17 January 2007 External links |- |- |- |- |- 1943 births 2015 deaths Premiers of South Australia Treasurers of South Australia Leaders of the Opposition in South Australia Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of South Australia Officers of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal Adelaide Law School alumni University of Adelaide faculty Flinders University alumni Flinders University faculty People from Bendigo People educated at