Heartfelt tributes are flowing from SA Labor heavyweights for prominent former staffer Jill Bottrall, who has died after being diagnosed with cancer.
Ms Bottrall was a long-serving media adviser and deputy chief of staff to former premier Mike Rann, who was among the first to express his condolences.
In a tweet, Mr Rann said he and wife, Sasha, were "immensely saddened" to learn of "Jill Bottrall's untimely death".
"She was a courageous and fiercely loyal comrade-in-arms," Mr Rann said.
"She knew no concept of surrender or defeat. Instead there was passion, perseverance and resilience in the ups and downs of politics."
Ms Bottrall was 62.
Mr Rann said she was only diagnosed several weeks ago, after she noticed she was unusually tired.
He said their 18-year working relationship dated back to the aftermath of the 1993 election, which was disastrous for Labor.
"She was in the trenches right at the start, when there were only 10 Labor MPs, until we got back into government," he said.
"I owe her a massive amount of gratitude."
Ms Bottrall was widely considered as one of the architects of Mr Rann's political success, and was well known in media circles for her formidable communication style — even lending her name to an informal verb.
"Never got to work with or know Jill Bottrall but I spent about four years in the government’s media unit and she was spoken about with so much respect and reverence," one journalist wrote on social media.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis — who was elevated to Labor cabinet during Mr Rann's premiership — said all of SA Labor was "mourning the loss".
"Jill Bottrall died last night after a very brief and unfair battle with cancer. No-one fought harder for Labor," he tweeted.
"Jill was a key part of the success that was the Mike Rann [government]. God rest you Jill, the battle is fought and won."
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was "shocked" and "saddened" by Ms Bottrall's death, describing her as "a loyal and dedicated staffer for Mike Rann over many years, both in opposition and government".
After more than 15 years as an adviser to Mr Rann, Ms Bottrall opened her own public relations agency.
In later years, she served as a member on the RSPCA's SA board, and as a manager for the NBN in SA and the Northern Territory.
