Sir Richard Hanson was much more than a Judge - although he was an important Judge in his time. Before he became Chief Justice of South Australia in 1861, he was: a participant in a major government enquiry on Canada which laid the foundations for democratic self-government not only there, but in Australia and New Zealand as well; a co-founder of the polities of both South Australia and New Zealand; a campaigner for Maori land rights; and Premier of South Australia for the better part of three years.