Hanson was born in London, a son of Benjamin Hanson, fruit merchant and importer. William was trained as an architect, and spent some time in a builder's office, then in 1836 began working for George Stephenson. He subsequently became manager of two English railways.
Career in South Australia
He arrived in South Australia in late 1853. In February 1855 he was appointed engineer to the Adelaide and Gawler Railway Commissions, overseeing the construction of the line to Gawler and its extension to Kapunda, also to the Adelaide and Port Adelaide Railway. He was appointed chairman and engineer of the Railway Commission in 1857 and resigned early 1859, to be replaced by James Hill. In October 1859 he was appointed engineer-in-chief of South Australian Railways, then in December 1860 he was appointed Engineer, Colonial Architect, and Inspector of Railways; and in June, 1865, he was made acting manager of Railways after the sacking of C. S. Hare, but retired in 1867 as his health deteriorated, and he lived with relatives at Walkerville and Parkin Street, Glenelg, which was where he died. He was involved in the design and construction of the Thornden Park reservoir and its reticulation to the city. He oversaw the completion of the Granite Island jetty. He recommended against building locks on the Port River and against selling the railways to a private company. He investigated the failure of the Torrens weir in 1859. He became a member of the Adelaide Philosophical Society in 1865. He was a director of the Provincial Gas Company of South Australia.
Family
William was a brother of Sir Richard Davies Hanson, who was Premier of South Australia from 1857 to 1860, then Chief Justice. Other brothers were Joseph Laurence Hanson, who was with the Railway Department, married with no children, and Edward Hanson, an engineer with the Provincial Gas Company of Thebarton married to Catalina. He had three sisters: one married in England, another married to Thomas S. Reed, chairman of the Destitute Board and secretary of the Geographical Society, and another unmarried. He was married; they had a daughter.
