John Stanislaus Hanlon

Hanlon was born at Creswick, Victoria, to Christopher Hanlon and was educated at Creswick State School, and St. Patrick's College, Ballarat.[1] He began work as a journalist, first in Ballarat, and then in Perth, Western Australia where he founded the Western Australian branch of the Australian Journalists' Association. By 1915, Hanlon was in Brisbane and began a long association with The Worker newspaper.[1]

In February 1908, Hanlon married Mary Cotter and together they had 2 children.[1]

When the Labour Party starting forming governments in Queensland, it found much of its legislation being blocked by a hostile Council, where members had been appointed for life by successive conservative governments. After a failed referendum in May 1917,[2] Premier Ryan tried a new tactic, and later that year advised the Governor, Sir Hamilton John Goold-Adams, to appoint thirteen new members whose allegiance lay with Labour to the Council.[3] The Council, however, continued to reject the government's money bills and in 1918 Ryan advised Goold-Adams to appoint additional Labour members, but this time he refused the request.[3]

In 1920, the new Premier Ted Theodore appointed a further fourteen new members to the Council[4] with Hanlon amongst the appointees.[1] He served for two years until the Council was abolished in March 1922.[1]

Hanlon continued his work with The Worker for another 20 years and becoming its editor.[5] In 1921, while serving in the Council, Hanlon was made a member of the University of Queensland senate, holding the role until 1943.[1] Hanlon moved to Sydney in 1943 to continue his work as an editor, this time with The Australian Worker newspaper.[5] His final appointment came in 1945 when he was made a member of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, serving until his death four years later.[1]

Hanlon died of pneumonia in Sydney in September 1949.[1]