Richard Davies Hanson was the fourth Premier of South Australia, and a Chief Judge on the Supreme Court of South Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of South Australia.
Background
Hanson was born on December 6, 1805 in London, England, the second son of Benjamin Hanson, a fruit merchant and importer. Richard's brother William Hanson (1810-1875) was an architect and engineer who played a decisive role in the early history of South Australia's railways and waterworks.
Education
Hanson was educated at a private school in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire.
Career
Admitted a solicitor in 1828, Hanson practised for some time in London. In 1838 he went with Lord Durham to Canada as assistant-commissioner of inquiry into crown lands and immigration. In 1840, on the death of Lord Durham, whose private secretary he had been, he settled in Wellington, New Zealand. He there acted as crown prosecutor, but in 1846 removed to South Australia. In 1851 he was appointed advocate-general of that colony and took an active share in the passing of many important measures, such as the first Education Act, the District Councils Act of 1852, and the Act of 1856 which granted constitutional government to the colony. In 1856 and again from 1857 to 1860 he was attorney-general and leader of the government. In 1861 he was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of South Australia and was knighted in 1869. Hanson died in Australia on the 4th of March 1876.