The town was surveyed in 1865 and originally known as Daviestown, Davieston, or Davies Town, named after
Sir Richard Davies Hanson (1805–76), a Chief Justice of South Australia and acting Governor of the then colony from 1872 to 1873. The first lots were offered for sale first on 30 November 1865. The change brought the town's name into line with that of the nearby Hanson railway station. On the same date, the nearby town known as Hanson officially became
Farrell Flat, also aligning that town's name with that of its railway station. Over the years Hanson has comprised a
church, a hall, a school, a shop, a
railway station and a few houses. File:Methodist Church at Hanson.jpg|Former Hanson Methodist Church (2013) File:School House at Hanson.jpg|Former Hanson Primary School building (2013) ==References==