Josiah Alfred Hanan was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician, cabinet minister, and legislative councillor. He also served as Mayor of Invercargill

Invercargill

Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...

, and as Chancellor

Chancellor (education)

A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....

 of the University of New Zealand

University of New Zealand

The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand...

.

Early life

Hanan was born in Invercargill, New Zealand, and educated at Invercargill Central School (dux) and Southland Boys' High School

Southland Boys' High School

Southland Boys' High School is an all-boys school in Invercargill, New Zealand, and has been the only one in the city since Marist Brothers was merged with St Catherines to form Verdon College in 1982.-History:...

. He was a civil and criminal lawyer 1889-99 with a good reputation, defending Minnie Dean

Minnie Dean

Williamina "Minnie" Dean was a New Zealander who was found guilty of infanticide and hanged. She was the only woman to receive the death penalty in New Zealand....

 and John Keown on murder charges.

Political career

He entered politics in 1896, when he was elected Mayor of Invercargill

Mayor of Invercargill

The Mayor of Invercargill is the head of the municipal government of Invercargill, New Zealand, and presides over the Invercargill City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor is Tim Shadbolt, who is also the longest serving mayor for...

 (the youngest, and the first NZ-born). In 1899

New Zealand general election, 1899

The New Zealand general election of 1899 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 373,744 voters turned out to...

 he was elected as the member of the House of Representatives for the Invercargill electorate

Invercargill (New Zealand electorate)

Invercargill is an electorate of the Parliament of New Zealand that has existed since 1866. The current representative is Eric Roy.-Population centres:The electorate covers Invercargill city and the surrounding rural area, including Stewart Island / Rakiura...

. He held the seat for the next 26 years, and retired at the 1925 election

New Zealand general election, 1925

The New Zealand general election of 1925 was held 4 November to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 22nd session of the New Zealand Parliament...

.

In 1912 he was appointed Minister of Education in the short lived cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 of Thomas Mackenzie

Thomas Mackenzie

Sir Thomas Noble Mackenzie GCMG was a Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the 18th Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1912, and later served as New Zealand High Commissioner in London....

. He also served in the wartime National cabinet, variously holding the portfolios of education, justice, and immigration. On his retirement from the House in 1925 he was appointed as a Member of the Legislative Council

New Zealand Legislative Council

The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...

, a position he held until its abolition in 1950.

Family and death

Hanan died in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

 in 1954. He married Abigail Susan Graham in 1896, but she died in 1898. Then he married Susannah Murray; and they had two sons. One of them, Ralph Hanan

Ralph Hanan

Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...

, was the National Party

New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

 Member of Parliament for Invercargill, and a Cabinet minister

New Zealand Cabinet

The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...

.