District Council of Hanson

{{Location map|Australia South Australia|lat=-33.83081649 |long=138.79653823|position = left|width=200|caption=Seat of the former District Council of Hanson in South Australia |label= District Council of Hanson }}

The District Council of Hanson was a local government area in South Australia from 1878 to 1935.{{cite web | url=https://www.lga.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/LGA-89938_-_2011_18_-_FINAL_History_of_SA_Councils.pdf | title=A History of South Australian Councils to 1936 | publisher=Local Government Association of South Australia | date=2012 | access-date=30 October 2015 | author=Marsden, Susan | pages=11}}

The council was proclaimed on 8 August 1872, comprising the whole of the cadastral Hundred of Hanson.{{cite web | url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/sa_gazette/1872/35.pdf | title=Thursday, August 8, 1872 | publisher=Government of South Australia | work=The Government Gazette of South Australia | access-date=4 November 2016}} Its foundation was controversial: it had reportedly been supported by 40 farmers representing 13,000 acres and opposed by 48 farmers representing "about the same quantity of land", in addition to two large landholders representing 33,000 acres. The opponents of the council claimed that the proponents were mostly within the government town of Hanson (now Farrell Flat), and that most of the proposed district did not share a common interest with the town. However, those who supported the council were successful when the government decided to "extend the advantages of self-government" and recommended its proclamation. There was further controversy later in the year when the government appointed an opponent as a councillor to replace a supporter who had been disqualified.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92705614 |title=HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle And Weekly Mail |volume=XV |issue=740 |location=South Australia |date=19 October 1872 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39271388 |title=DEPUTATION. |newspaper=South Australian Register |volume=XXXVII |issue=8003 |location=South Australia |date=11 July 1872 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The council was divided into five wards in November 1873: Eastern Ward, Gum Creek Ward, Hanson Ward, Western Ward and North-Eastern Ward.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73060066 |title=GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |location=South Australia |date=29 November 1873 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} Gum Creek Ward and Western Ward were amalgamated into a Middle Ward in 1879, while the North-Eastern Ward became the North Ward during the 1870s and was later abolished.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160121562 |title=District Council. |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |volume=XXXVI |issue=1967 |location=South Australia |date=14 June 1879 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94333260 |title=DISTRICT COUNCIL NOMINATIONS. |newspaper=South Australian Weekly Chronicle |volume=XXVIII |issue=1,402 |location=South Australia |date=4 July 1885 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=22 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39720075 |title=Hanson District Council. |newspaper=Burra Record |volume=XXXXIV |issue=36 |location=South Australia |date=6 September 1922 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

A tender for a council chamber for the new council was accepted in 1874 at the "Torreston" subdivision at what is now Farrell Flat.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159474839 |title=HANSON, [No date.] |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |volume=XXXI |issue=1687 |location=South Australia |date=31 January 1874 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208171253 |title=NOTES BY THE WAY. |newspaper=The Express and Telegraph |volume=XI |issue=3,219 |location=South Australia |date=18 July 1874 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=3 (SECOND EDITION.) |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web | url=http://www.location.sa.gov.au/viewer/ | title=Search result(s) for Torreston, Subd | publisher=Government of South Australia | work=Location SA Map Viewer | access-date=13 December 2017}} This first chamber was vacated in 1878 and leased to the Education Department for school purposes, while the council selected a site for a new chamber and began construction later that year.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93844250 |title=HANSON. |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle And Weekly Mail |volume=XXI |issue=1,063 |location=South Australia |date=4 January 1879 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92262770 |title=HANSON. |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle And Weekly Mail |volume=XXI |issue=1,058 |location=South Australia |date=30 November 1878 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1923, the council was meeting "for the matter of convenience" at Kooringa in Burra.{{cite book | title=The Civic record of South Australia, 1921-1923 | publisher=Associated Publishing Service | year=1924 | page=359}}

In 1923, it was described as a "small agricultural district" with an area of 77,440 acres, with the capital value of ratable property being £329,940. It had a population of 641 persons, residing in 148 dwellings, at the 1921 census.

The Hanson council ceased to exist on 21 March 1935, when it was amalgamated with the District Council of Burra, the District Council of Mount Bryan, and part of the District Council of Booborowie to form the District Council of Burra Burra, following a Local Government Commission report aimed at reducing the number of municipalities in the state.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97766986 |title=LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION. |newspaper=The Northern Argus |volume=LXVI |issue=3,540 |location=South Australia |date=8 February 1935 |access-date=4 November 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}