Edward Joseph Hanson (5 September 1878 – 26 October 1950)[1] was a plumber, union organiser and politician in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council and the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Edward Hanson
Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
In office
8 August 1939 – 31 July 1944
Preceded byGeorge Pollock
Succeeded bySamuel Brassington
ConstituencyBuranda
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Buranda
In office
16 August 1924 – 3 May 1947
Preceded byJohn Huxham
Succeeded byRichard Brown
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office
19 February 1920 – 23 March 1922
Personal details
Born
Edward Joseph Hanson

(1878-09-05)5 September 1878
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died26 October 1950(1950-10-26) (aged 72)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Political partyLabor
SpouseElizabeth McKay (m.1903 d.1969)
OccupationPlumber, Trade union secretary

Early life edit

Edward Joseph Hanson was born in Woolloongabba, Brisbane on 5 September 1878, the son of John Hanson and his wife Mary Ann (née Castree).[2][3]

He served in the Second Boer War 1899–1901.[4]

On 19 August, Edward, known as Ted, was married to Elizabeth McKay; they had eight children. He was also a founding member of the PGEUA (Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees Union of Australia) Qld branch in 1904. He was later its first full-time Secretary/Organiser (1915–1924). From 1916 to 1922 he was a member of the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board.[2]

Politics edit

Hanson was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council from 1920 to 1922.[5] After the abolition of the council, he represented the Queensland state electorate of Buranda from 1924 to 1947, and was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 8 August 1939 until 31 July 1944.[6] He was the first Speaker of the QLD Parliament to not wear a wig. His daughter Norma, related to her daughter, Caroline Mann-Smith, that Ted said that "I am not wearing a sheep skin on my head". (Norma was aged 19 in 1939). No doubt his reasons were not only this – they were likely to do with disagreement with what he saw as old and unnecessary traditions. (written by Caroline Mann-Smith, as quoted earlier) He was a supporter of the Buranda State Schools Committee and the president of the committee. He was a supporter of the Kent Street Blind, Deaf and Dumb Institution and the chairman of its committee.[7]

Later life edit

Hanson died on 26 October 1950. He was accorded a State funeral. His funeral cortege was led by the Queensland Mounted Police and was more than a mile long. It travelled along Victoria Bridge, Queen Street and Story Bridge and then to Mount Thompson Crematorium where he was cremated.[2][8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Private Edward Hanson". Boer War Memorial. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Death of Ex-Speaker Mr. E.J.Hanson". The Worker. 30 October 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  3. ^ "1878/B23949 Edward Joseph Hanson". Queensland births. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Second Queensland Contingent". The Queenslander. 20 January 1900. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  5. ^ "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Governors, Premiers, Speakers, and Women in the Queensland Parliament" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  7. ^ "BLIND AND DEAF SCHOOL". The Brisbane Courier. 8 December 1931. p. 17. Retrieved 17 September 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Family Notices". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 27 October 1950. p. 16. Retrieved 3 February 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  • Letters to Ted and family sources
  • Various letters in the Queensland State Archives written by Ted Hanson in those positions
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
1939– 1944
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Buranda
1924–1947
Succeeded by