• Born: 5 Jul 1867, Parramatta, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia ^{3 4}
• Married: 14 Jun 1892, St. Matthew's, Manly, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia ^{1 2}
• Died: 2 Aug 1919, Rock Farm, Dundas, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia ⁵

  Research Notes:

FLORENCE ADELE HANSON late of Manly, Married Woman.

3rd October, 1951. Letters of administration with the will dated the 11th March 1913 annexed de bonis non of the Estate of the abovenamed deceased were granted to Keith Walker Hanson and Enid Moore a son and daughter of the said Deceased.
Intestate died on the 2nd August, 1919. Unadminister estate under the value of £21,000.0.0. ¹¹

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"Mrs. Florence Hanson (54),— wife of Mr. Joseph Hanson, house and estate agent, of Manly, was found dead by her bedside at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Knight, of Rock Farm, Dundas, on Saturday. Deceased had a bullet wound in her right temple, and a pearifle, containing a discharged cartridge was underneath her."

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"The Rock Farm Tragedy

A Wealthy Lady's Death.

The Coroner (Mr. Richardson Clerk) held an inquest at Parramatta on Friday touching the death of Mrs. Florence Adele Hanson, wife of Mr. Jos. Hanson (Manly), who was found dead with a pea-rifle under her at Dundas.

Dr. E. Cuthbert Hall deposed that about 7 p.m. on 2nd August he went to the house of Mr. Knight, at Rock Farm, Dundas. Constable Bailey was with him. He went into a bedroom, and there saw the body of deceased lying in a corner on the floor fully dressed. There was blood on the face and a considerable pool of blood on the carpet under her head. Lying under the body was a pea-rifle with the muzzle pointing towards the head. The body was removed to the Parramatta morgue, and there he made an external examination and found a bullet wound of entrance in the right temple just above the eye. On probing he found that the bullet had passed through the brain and to have struck the left temporal bone just above the left ear, fracturing the bone but not passing through. Death must have been instantaneous. The wound of entrance was blackened, showing that the rifle must have been discharged at close range. Upon the bed in the room were three portraits, which, he was informed, were those of deceased's children.

Joseph William Hanson deposed that he was a real estate agent, residing at Manly. Deceased was his wife. She was 52 years of age. There were three children, 26 years, 16 years and 8 years respectively. He identified the body at the Parramatta morgue on 3rd August. They lived together; but lately not as man and wife, owing to her health. She was possessed of real estate property valued at £9000 or £10,000, and her income was about £600 or £700 a year. Witness gave her the property. She had not been well for a long time and had been in hospitals. The last hospital was at a Randwick mental hospital, where she had been seven months. She came out in September last year. Saw her alive last about a fortnight before her death. She was at Rock Farm. She appeared to be reasonable and mentally all right. She had never previously shown any suicidal .tendencies. She was staying with Mr. Knight, her first cousin.

Augustus Sydney Knight deposed that he resided at Rock Farm, Dundas. The deceased was his cousin. The deceased had been staying with him before; but that last time she stayed with him for two months. She seemed a great deal perturbed generally. She suffered from insomnia. Knew that she had been in a mental hospital. She prevailed upon him to let her stay at his place, because, as she said, the quiet of the surroundings of his home would suit her. Saw the deceased at breakfast-time on August 2. Went to town by the 9.15 a.m. train. She received a mail that morning. She received her taxation papers. They were simply for signature. They upset her, however, notwithstanding that witness advised her that everything was in order and that there was nothing to trouble about. Knew Mr. Hanson very well. So far as witness knows, Mr. Hanson was very attentive and devoted to his family. Got home by the 6.20 p.m. train; got home at 6.30 p.m. The members of the household (Miss Abell, the maid, in particular) told witness that Mrs. Hanson, had been very upset all day. Said, 'Where is she?' :With that went into her room. She was lying in the corner. She was dead. Did not know that at the time. The walls of the house were very thick. The rifle found under the deceased's body was his property. It had been in his room for two months previously, unused. When witness left home there were two in the house — Miss Hack and Miss Abell. Witness's son was away. Had no doubt that the deceased committed suicide. There were some pellets of ammunition in his ash tray and elsewhere in the house. The pea rlfle had not been loaded before for two months. The deceased — so far as he knew — did not understand a pea-rifle. It had slnce puzzled him how sho managed to manipulate the rifle. The deceased was a sober woman — to an extreme.

Vera Abell, one of the household at Knight's, Rock Farm, deposed that she knew Mrs. Hanson. Had never noticed anything queer in her behaviour. Was "about the place" all day on August 2. Saw Mrs. Hanson. She was at the back of the house and in the garden. Had just the ordinary conversation with her. Mr. Knight went away in the 9.15 a.m. train. Mrs. Knight and witness were left in the house and Mrs. Hanson.

The Coroner: Was Mlss Hack there?
The witness : Yes.
The witness said that she heard no conversation between Mrs. Hanson and any one else. Saw Mrs. Hanson in the front part of the house about 5.15 p.m. Sne was just standing there by herself. Did not see her with a rifle during the afternoon. Just noticed the deceased as she (witness) passed. Did not hear a shot. The walls of the house were thick. Mrs. Hanson was treated just the same as any lady would be expected to be treated. Did not say anything to Mr. Knight when he came home. Did say something. Told him that Mrs. Hanson had been upset all day. So far as witness could remember said, "Mrs. Hanson has been upset all day, and is in her room." Guessed that she was in her room.

The Coroner: What gave you the impression that the deceased was upset? Witness: I don't know. I just noticed that she was upset. The deceased was not restful that day. She was walking about.

The witness said that the deceased did not sleep well. : Had been at Knight's for two years and three months. Did not know Mrs. Hanson very well; only whilst she had been staying there. Mrs. Knight and Miss Hack were somewhere in the house; but witness could not say just where.

The Coroner found that the deceased died at Rock Farm, Dundas, from a bullet wound in the head, self inflicted whilst temporarily insane." ^{6 7}