Editing Lang Hancock (section)

==Early life==
Hancock was born on 10 June 1909 in [[Leederville, Western Australia|Leederville, Perth, Western Australia]]. He was the oldest of four children born to Lilian ({{nee|Prior}}) and George Hancock; his mother was born in [[South Australia]] and his father in Western Australia. His father's great-aunt was [[Emma Withnell]], while a cousin was [[Valston Hancock|Sir Valston Hancock]].<ref name=adb>Melville J. Davies, 'Hancock, Langley Frederick (Lang) (1909–1992)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hancock-langley-frederick-lang-17492/text29181, published online 2016, accessed online 15 August 2018.</ref> Hancock spent his early childhood on his family's [[station (Australian agriculture)|station]] at [[Ashburton Downs]], later moving to [[Mulga Downs Station]] in the north-west after his father, George Hancock, bought a farming estate there.<ref name=iron>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42113367 |title="That's iron", he said. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]]|date=15 August 1962 |accessdate=14 January 2011 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> After initially being educated at home, at the age of eight he began boarding at the [[St Aloysius Convent of Mercy]] in [[Toodyay]]. He later attended [[Hale School]] in Perth from 1924 to 1927, where he played for the school cricket and football teams.<ref name=adb/> Upon completing his secondary education, he returned to Mulga Downs Station to help his father manage the property.<ref name=iron/>

In 1935 he married Susette Maley. The couple lived at Mulga Downs, but Maley left Hancock to return to Perth. Their separation was formalised in 1944. Also in 1935, Hancock took over the management of Mulga Downs station from his father. He partnered with his old schoolmate [[Peter Wright (mining entrepreneur)|E. A. "Peter" Wright]] in running the property, later boasting that no deals between the two men were ever sealed with anything stronger than a [[handshake]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/news/malcolm-maiden/case-of-wrights--but-any-wrong/2005/07/12/1120934241936.html |title=Case of Wrights – but any wrong? |author=Maiden, Malcolm |work=The Age |date=13 July 2005 |location=Australia |accessdate=10 September 2011 }}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Hancock served in a [[Citizens Military Force|militia]] unit, the 11th (North-West) Battalion, [[Volunteer Defence Corps (Australia)|Volunteer Defence Corps]], and attained the rank of [[sergeant]].<ref name="World War II">{{cite web|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=836176|title=HANCOCK, LANGLEY GEORGE|accessdate=26 December 2008|work=World War II Nominal Roll|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |year=2002}}</ref> On 4 August 1947, he married his second wife, Hope Margaret Nicholas, the mother of his only acknowledged child, [[Gina Rinehart]].  Lang and Hope remained married for 35 years, until her death in 1983 at the age of 66. In 2012, Hilda Kickett, who had long claimed to be Lang Hancock's illegitimate daughter, claimed that the late mining magnate had had an illicit affair with an Aboriginal cook on his property at Mulga Downs resulting in her conception.<ref name="Courier Mail">{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/hancocks-love-child-reveals-secrets/story-e6freooo-1226270235403|title=Lang Hancock's love child reveals secrets|accessdate=19 February 2015|work=Courier Mail|year=2012}}</ref><ref name="Sydney Morning Herald">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/rineharts-halfsister-speaks-out-on-family-20120703-21fia.html|title=Rinehart's 'half-sister' speaks out on family|accessdate=19 February 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |year=2012}}</ref> These claims have not been corroborated.<ref name="Sydney Morning Herald2">{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/hancock-casts-doubt-over-rinehart-halfsister-claims-20120704-21gg7.html|title=Hancock casts doubt over Rinehart 'half-sister' claims|accessdate=19 February 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |year=2012}}</ref>