Hugh Denison

Sir Hugh Robert Denison, originally Hugh Robert Dixson (11 November 1865 – 25 November 1940) was a businessman, parliamentarian and philanthropist in South Australia and later New South Wales. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1901 to 1905, representing West Adelaide (1901-1902) and Adelaide (1902-1905). Outside of politics, he was involved in his family's tobacco business, a forerunner of the British Australian Tobacco Company, was involved with a number of newspapers, and founded the Macquarie Broadcasting Services Pty Ltd radio network. He changed his surname by deed poll in 1907 to avoid confusion with his uncle Sir Hugh Dixson.

History

Denison was born the eldest son of Robert Dixson (16 May 1842 – 27 November 1891) and Ruth Dixson (née Whingates) in Forbes, New South Wales. His parents' marriage ended in acrimony, and Robert's will, which left the bulk of his considerable fortune to Melbourne University, was contested by his widow and children, and overturned with the University getting around half. Robert Dixson and his brother Sir Hugh Dixson (1841–1926) were partners in Robert Dixson & Co. which manufactured tobacco. Hugh was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne then when his father moved to Adelaide in 1878 to found a tobacco factory there, enrolled at Prince Alfred College. From 1881 to 1883 he studied at University College School, London.