Hamilton, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Hamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia
. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway
(from Ballarat to Mount Gambier
) and the Henty Highway
(from Portland
to Horsham
). The Hamilton Highway
connects it to Geelong.
Hamilton is in the federal
Division of Wannon
, and is in the Southern Grampians local government area.
Hamilton claims to be the "Wool Capital of the World", based on its strong historical links to sheep grazing which continue today.
tribal territories: the Gunditjmara
land that stretches south to the coast, the Tjapwurong land to the north east and the Bunganditj territory to the west. People who lived in these areas tended to be settled rather than nomadic. The region was (and is) fertile and well-watered, leading to an abundance of wildlife, and no need to travel far for food. Physical remains such as the weirs and fish traps found in Lake Condah to the south of Hamilton, as well as accounts of early white settlers support local indigenous oral histories of well established settlements in the area.
’ (as he called this region of Western Victoria) encouraged pastoralists to move to the area and establish large sheep runs. By 1839 there were a number of settlers in the area including the Wedge family whose property ‘The Grange' was located within the present town site.
Conflict between the pastoralists and the indigenous population soon arose. The local people resisted encroachment on their traditional tribal lands. They stole and killed sheep for food and out of retaliation for the settlers' use of their hunting territory as grazing-land. A number of Aborigines in the Western district were murdered in this period in the resulting conflicts. On 8th March 1840, the Whyte brothers, William, George, Pringle, James and John massacred from 20-30 to 50 men, women, and children on the Konongwootong run.
When Governor La Trobe
visited The Grange in 1841 he noted the extent of interracial violence and appointed Acheson French as police magistrate to the area. A constable and a detachment of mounted police, to be based at The Grange, were also appointed and convicts from Portland erected a hut for the magistrate and barracks for the troopers on the site of the present courthouse and police station on Martin and Thompson Streets.
Another result of the conflict was the establishment of an Aboriginal reserve, intended for the protection of the indigenous people. This further angered the pastoralists who regarded the reserve and its administration as hostile to their interests. Violence and brutality appear to have continued unchecked until Governor La Trobe ordered the Portland Commissioner, all his border police and a contingent of ‘native police’ to the Grange in September 1842. This, along with the effects of dislocation, European diseases, and killings marked the end of most of the indigenous resistance in the area.
A Post Office opened on 1 July 1844 (Hamilton from 1 January 1854).
The desire for a school prompted a town survey that commenced in 1849. The township of Hamilton was formally declared in 1851. The town was named in the following way as quoted by the book, "Dundas Shire Centenary 1863-1963", page 58. Quote: "In 1840, owing to police difficulties in controlling public houses on, or not on the imaginary boundary line, Henry Wade was sent from Sydney on a special mission to mark out the boundary. He completed the survey as far as Serviceton by the spring of 1847, and was then appointed District Surveyor and in 1850, laid out a township for the Grange, which he named Hamilton. It was then the prerogative of the surveyor to christen his lay-out. Wade and his family had made close friends of the Hamiltons and Gibsons of Bringalbert, there being intermarriages later." Unquote.
The railway reached the town in 1877, along with the local railway station
which later became a hub of several branch lines.
is another large employer, with four Secondary Schools, three of which enrol both primary and secondary students, as well as a number of stand-alone primary schools. The unemployment rate at the 2001 Census was put at 6.1%, with a workforce participation rate of 58.9%.
, a tri-weekly local newspaper published by the Spectator Observer newspaper group. Established in 1859 as the Hamilton Courier, it became the Hamilton Spectator and Grange District Advertiser in 1860, and later The Hamilton Spectator.
Both are owned by the Ace Radio
network which operates radio stations in the Western District of Victoria.
Several other radio stations broadcast into Hamilton, including national broadcasters such as the ABC
and regional stations based in nearby towns in Western Victoria such as Warrnambool
, Portland
and Ballarat.
, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
was employed to design the Hamilton Botanic Gardens. Set in 4 acres (1.6 ha), the gardens are distinguished by rare botanic species, a superbly restored rotunda, a small zoo featuring rabbits, cockatiels and budgies and playground and the ornate Thomson Fountain. The National Trust of Australia
classified the gardens in 1990 with eight tree species listed on the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria.
Hamilton Art Gallery is world-renowned and one of the major regional collections in Victoria. Its collection spans Australian and European paintings, decorative arts and Chinese, Japanese and Korean decorative arts, with the majority being 18th century or later. In particular the Gallery holds 22 gouache by English painter Paul Sandby (1731-1809), second only to the holding of the Queen. Open 7 days and a changing program of exhibitions complements the permanent collection. Entry by donation
Sheepvention, a wool-related trade-show and exhibition is held in the Hamilton Show-grounds in the first Monday & Tuesday of August each year, and attracts up to 20,000 visitors. It has a similar feel to an Agricultural show
but is focused on wool and sheep. The Hamilton Agricultural Show is normally held in November.
The Big Wool Bales is an attraction consisting of five linked structures designed to resemble five gigantic woolbales - a tribute to the importance of the local wool industry. Together they form a building and a cafe containing wool-related displays such as historical memorabilia, including farming and shearing equipment, wool scales, old horse harnesses, wool presses and weaving looms, along with wool samples and rural clothing.
The Keeping Place is a small museum and living history centre run by local indigenous people.
The Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum celebrates the founding of Ansett Australia
in Hamilton in 1935 and displays items from the early days of the Ansett Airlines' operation.
teams; Hamilton Magpies and Hamilton Imperials. Both teams compete in the Western Border Football League
.
Netball
, field hockey
, basketball
, soccer, tennis
and cricket
are other popular sports in the town. Hamilton opened a large Indoor Sports and Aquatic Centre in March 2006, which contains four basketball courts, a twenty-five-metre indoor swimming pool
, 4 squash courts, a table tennis centre with 8 courts and a large gym
. The city is also the home of the Hamilton Rowing Club (HRC) who compete in Rowing Victoria regattas during the summer. The Hamilton and Alexandra College Rowing Club (HACRC) sometimes compete in such events or attempt to train. Tucked behind the Historical Society in Grey Street, is the Hamilton 8-Ball and Snooker Club.
Hamilton has a horse racing club, the Hamilton Racing Club, which schedules around nine race meetings a year including the Hamilton Cup meeting in April. As well as a harness racing club which has recently opened a new track, with state-of-the-art facilities.
Golfers play at the Hamilton Golf Club or at the more minor course Parklands on Boundary and Hensley Park Roads.
is native to the area, and a reserve has been built to protect the endangered species
. In more recent times (2007), the numbers both within the reserve and without have been severely diminished to the point of near extinction as a result of extended drought. Within the city the public lands adjoining the river and Lake Hamilton have been subject to spasmodic tree-planting projects.
Mount Napier
the highest point on the Western District Plains is found 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Hamilton.
.
There are three primary to year 12 schools: The Hamilton and Alexandra College (Uniting Church), Good Shepherd College (Lutheran) and Baimbridge College. Baimbridge College is the only government school for secondary students in Hamilton and enrols around 800 students.
Hamilton has one Catholic secondary school, Monivae College, with around 700 enrolments.
Hamilton Special School caters to primary school-age students who have special education needs, predominantly autistic spectrum disorders and communication difficulties. The school has a total enrolment of approximately 65.
South West Institute of Technical and Further Education
has a campus in Hamilton, offering post-secondary and trade courses and qualifications.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway
Glenelg Highway
The Glenelg Highway is a 301 kilometre highway in south-eastern Australia, linking Mount Gambier with Ballarat. Most of the highway is located within the Western part of the state of Victoria; except for a short, 15 km stretch from the South Australia/Victoria state border near Ardno to...
(from Ballarat to Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
) and the Henty Highway
Henty Highway
Henty Highway is a 360 kilometre highway in western Victoria, Australia. It's primarily a north-south route, and consists of a mix of 2 laned country highway standard and 4 lane arterial road within some of the larger towns along the route....
(from Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
to Horsham
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
). The Hamilton Highway
Hamilton Highway
The Hamilton Highway in western Victoria, Australia runs from the Princes Highway in Geelong west to the town of Hamilton through the towns of Inverleigh, Cressy, Lismore, Derrinallum, Darlington, Mortlake, and Penshurst....
connects it to Geelong.
Hamilton is in the federal
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Wannon
Division of Wannon
The Division of Wannon is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the south-west of the state, and encompasses most of the Western Region of the state. It adjoins the South Australian border in the west, and the Bass Strait coast in the south. The Division...
, and is in the Southern Grampians local government area.
Hamilton claims to be the "Wool Capital of the World", based on its strong historical links to sheep grazing which continue today.
Early history
Hamilton was built near the border of three traditional indigenousIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
tribal territories: the Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara, or Gundidj for short, are an Indigenous Australian group from western Victoria . Their neighbours to the west were the Buandig people, to the north the Jardwadjali and Djab wurrung peoples, and in the east the Girai wurrung people.The name may also be spelt Gournditch-Mara...
land that stretches south to the coast, the Tjapwurong land to the north east and the Bunganditj territory to the west. People who lived in these areas tended to be settled rather than nomadic. The region was (and is) fertile and well-watered, leading to an abundance of wildlife, and no need to travel far for food. Physical remains such as the weirs and fish traps found in Lake Condah to the south of Hamilton, as well as accounts of early white settlers support local indigenous oral histories of well established settlements in the area.
White settlement and conflict
On 12 September 1836, the explorer, Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European to travel through the area where Hamilton later developed. His reports of the fertility and abundance of ‘Australia FelixAustralia Felix
On this expedition Mitchell was instructed to travel to Menindee, then down the Darling River to the sea, if it flowed there; or, if it flowed into the Murray River to go up the Murray to the inhabited parts of the colony....
’ (as he called this region of Western Victoria) encouraged pastoralists to move to the area and establish large sheep runs. By 1839 there were a number of settlers in the area including the Wedge family whose property ‘The Grange' was located within the present town site.
Conflict between the pastoralists and the indigenous population soon arose. The local people resisted encroachment on their traditional tribal lands. They stole and killed sheep for food and out of retaliation for the settlers' use of their hunting territory as grazing-land. A number of Aborigines in the Western district were murdered in this period in the resulting conflicts. On 8th March 1840, the Whyte brothers, William, George, Pringle, James and John massacred from 20-30 to 50 men, women, and children on the Konongwootong run.
When Governor La Trobe
Charles La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria .-Early life:La Trobe was born in London, the son of Christian Ignatius Latrobe, a family of Huguenot origin...
visited The Grange in 1841 he noted the extent of interracial violence and appointed Acheson French as police magistrate to the area. A constable and a detachment of mounted police, to be based at The Grange, were also appointed and convicts from Portland erected a hut for the magistrate and barracks for the troopers on the site of the present courthouse and police station on Martin and Thompson Streets.
Another result of the conflict was the establishment of an Aboriginal reserve, intended for the protection of the indigenous people. This further angered the pastoralists who regarded the reserve and its administration as hostile to their interests. Violence and brutality appear to have continued unchecked until Governor La Trobe ordered the Portland Commissioner, all his border police and a contingent of ‘native police’ to the Grange in September 1842. This, along with the effects of dislocation, European diseases, and killings marked the end of most of the indigenous resistance in the area.
Birth of the town
The proximity of The Grange to other properties and to important tracks between Portland and New South Wales led to the gradual emergence of a small town. This included an inn, blacksmith, a small store and some shanties and businesses nearby. The site was a small social centre for surrounding pastoral properties, with horse races being held along the Grange Burn flat.A Post Office opened on 1 July 1844 (Hamilton from 1 January 1854).
The desire for a school prompted a town survey that commenced in 1849. The township of Hamilton was formally declared in 1851. The town was named in the following way as quoted by the book, "Dundas Shire Centenary 1863-1963", page 58. Quote: "In 1840, owing to police difficulties in controlling public houses on, or not on the imaginary boundary line, Henry Wade was sent from Sydney on a special mission to mark out the boundary. He completed the survey as far as Serviceton by the spring of 1847, and was then appointed District Surveyor and in 1850, laid out a township for the Grange, which he named Hamilton. It was then the prerogative of the surveyor to christen his lay-out. Wade and his family had made close friends of the Hamiltons and Gibsons of Bringalbert, there being intermarriages later." Unquote.
The railway reached the town in 1877, along with the local railway station
Hamilton railway station, Victoria
Hamilton is a railway station located on the Ararat - Portland railway in the town of Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. Today the station is now used only for through trains, the large station building is now used only to serve bus passengers although the disused platform remains in reasonable...
which later became a hub of several branch lines.
Industry and employment
Sheep grazing and agriculture are the primary industries in the surrounding shire, the area producing as much as 15% of Australia’s total wool clip. Inside the city of Hamilton the majority of employment is provided by the retail industry (20%) and the Health and Community Services sector (14.5%). EducationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
is another large employer, with four Secondary Schools, three of which enrol both primary and secondary students, as well as a number of stand-alone primary schools. The unemployment rate at the 2001 Census was put at 6.1%, with a workforce participation rate of 58.9%.
Newspaper
Hamilton and the surrounding areas is serviced by The Hamilton Spectator (Aus)Hamilton Spectator (Aus)
The Hamilton Spectator is a tr-weekly tabloid newspaper, which has been published in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia since 1859. It is published by the Hamilton Spectator Partnership Pty Ltd...
, a tri-weekly local newspaper published by the Spectator Observer newspaper group. Established in 1859 as the Hamilton Courier, it became the Hamilton Spectator and Grange District Advertiser in 1860, and later The Hamilton Spectator.
Radio
There are two radio stations based in Hamilton:Both are owned by the Ace Radio
Ace Radio
ACE Radio is an Australian radio company, owning several AM and FM stations in Victoria.Its latest acquisition is 2AY Albury Wodonga, purchased from Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2005.-AM network:*1494 2AY Albury-Wodonga...
network which operates radio stations in the Western District of Victoria.
Several other radio stations broadcast into Hamilton, including national broadcasters such as the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and regional stations based in nearby towns in Western Victoria such as Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
, Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
and Ballarat.
Attractions and events
In 1881 William GuilfoyleWilliam Guilfoyle
William Robert Guilfoyle was a landscape gardener and botanist in Victoria, Australia, acknowledged as the architect of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne and was responsible for the design of many parks and gardens in Melbourne and regional Victoria.-Early life:Guilfoyle was born in Chelsea,...
, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are internationally renowned botanical gardens located near the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are 38 hectares of landscaped gardens consisting of a mix of native and non-native vegetation including over...
was employed to design the Hamilton Botanic Gardens. Set in 4 acres (1.6 ha), the gardens are distinguished by rare botanic species, a superbly restored rotunda, a small zoo featuring rabbits, cockatiels and budgies and playground and the ornate Thomson Fountain. The National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
classified the gardens in 1990 with eight tree species listed on the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria.
Hamilton Art Gallery is world-renowned and one of the major regional collections in Victoria. Its collection spans Australian and European paintings, decorative arts and Chinese, Japanese and Korean decorative arts, with the majority being 18th century or later. In particular the Gallery holds 22 gouache by English painter Paul Sandby (1731-1809), second only to the holding of the Queen. Open 7 days and a changing program of exhibitions complements the permanent collection. Entry by donation
Sheepvention, a wool-related trade-show and exhibition is held in the Hamilton Show-grounds in the first Monday & Tuesday of August each year, and attracts up to 20,000 visitors. It has a similar feel to an Agricultural show
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
but is focused on wool and sheep. The Hamilton Agricultural Show is normally held in November.
The Big Wool Bales is an attraction consisting of five linked structures designed to resemble five gigantic woolbales - a tribute to the importance of the local wool industry. Together they form a building and a cafe containing wool-related displays such as historical memorabilia, including farming and shearing equipment, wool scales, old horse harnesses, wool presses and weaving looms, along with wool samples and rural clothing.
The Keeping Place is a small museum and living history centre run by local indigenous people.
The Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum celebrates the founding of Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
in Hamilton in 1935 and displays items from the early days of the Ansett Airlines' operation.
Sport
There are many sporting clubs and leagues in the Hamilton area. The town is served by its two Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
teams; Hamilton Magpies and Hamilton Imperials. Both teams compete in the Western Border Football League
Western Border Football League
The Western Border Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Lower South East region of South Australia, and south-western border region of Victoria. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League and the Victorian Football League...
.
Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
are other popular sports in the town. Hamilton opened a large Indoor Sports and Aquatic Centre in March 2006, which contains four basketball courts, a twenty-five-metre indoor swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, 4 squash courts, a table tennis centre with 8 courts and a large gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
. The city is also the home of the Hamilton Rowing Club (HRC) who compete in Rowing Victoria regattas during the summer. The Hamilton and Alexandra College Rowing Club (HACRC) sometimes compete in such events or attempt to train. Tucked behind the Historical Society in Grey Street, is the Hamilton 8-Ball and Snooker Club.
Hamilton has a horse racing club, the Hamilton Racing Club, which schedules around nine race meetings a year including the Hamilton Cup meeting in April. As well as a harness racing club which has recently opened a new track, with state-of-the-art facilities.
Golfers play at the Hamilton Golf Club or at the more minor course Parklands on Boundary and Hensley Park Roads.
Wildlife and parks
The Eastern Barred BandicootEastern Barred Bandicoot
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot was once distributed across the Basalt Plains of south west Victoria, and in Tasmania. It is a small, rabbit sized marsupial weighing less than 1 kg with a short tail and three to four whitish bars across the rump. It lives for just two to three years and is not...
is native to the area, and a reserve has been built to protect the endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. In more recent times (2007), the numbers both within the reserve and without have been severely diminished to the point of near extinction as a result of extended drought. Within the city the public lands adjoining the river and Lake Hamilton have been subject to spasmodic tree-planting projects.
Mount Napier
Mount Napier
Mount Napier in Victoria, Australia, one of the youngest volcanoes in Australia, last erupted about 5,290 BCE. Mount Napier State Park is located 270 kilometres west of Melbourne and 17 km south of Hamilton. The Mount Napier Lava Flow reached nearby Mount Eccles which is 25 km...
the highest point on the Western District Plains is found 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Hamilton.
Education
Primary schools in Hamilton include Hamilton (Gray Street) Primary School, George Street Primary School, Hamilton North Primary School (all government schools) and Saint Mary's Primary School (Catholic). Hamilton (Gray Street) Primary School has the most enrolments with around 400 pupils. Tarrington Lutheran (Primary) School is also available in nearby TarringtonTarrington, Victoria
Tarrington is a village in the Southern Grampians Shire in South-west Victoria, Australia close to Hamilton. It has a large Lutheran Church, along with a school, church, hall, oval, cafe/restaurant, computer repair service, quarry, day-care centre and a fire station...
.
There are three primary to year 12 schools: The Hamilton and Alexandra College (Uniting Church), Good Shepherd College (Lutheran) and Baimbridge College. Baimbridge College is the only government school for secondary students in Hamilton and enrols around 800 students.
Hamilton has one Catholic secondary school, Monivae College, with around 700 enrolments.
Hamilton Special School caters to primary school-age students who have special education needs, predominantly autistic spectrum disorders and communication difficulties. The school has a total enrolment of approximately 65.
South West Institute of Technical and Further Education
South West TAFE
South West Institute of TAFESouth West Institute of TAFE is Technical and Further Education Institute located in the south west of the State of Victoria in Australia....
has a campus in Hamilton, offering post-secondary and trade courses and qualifications.
Prominent people
- Edward KennaEdward KennaEdward "Ted" Kenna VC was the last living Australian Second World War recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces.-Second World War:Kenna served in the Citizen Military...
awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
was born in Hamilton in 1919. - Former Prime Minister Malcolm FraserMalcolm FraserJohn Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
was the member for Wannon, and lived at ‘Nareen’ a stationStation (Australian agriculture)Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...
near Hamilton. - Sir Reginald Ansett, founder of Ansett Airways, started his first air service there in 1936.
- David HawkerDavid HawkerDavid Peter Maxwell Hawker , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from May 1983 to July 2010, representing the Division of Wannon, Victoria, previously represented by former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. He was born in Adelaide, and was educated at...
former speaker for the Australian Parliament and former member for WannonDivision of WannonThe Division of Wannon is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the south-west of the state, and encompasses most of the Western Region of the state. It adjoins the South Australian border in the west, and the Bass Strait coast in the south. The Division...
1983 - 2010. - Mark Day, b 1943, prominent journalist, publisher and editor-in-chief of 'The Australian'. At Hamilton High School edited the school magazine - 'The Grange' - in the late 1950s.
- Xavier SamuelXavier SamuelXavier Samuel is an Australian actor. He has appeared in leading roles in the feature films September, Further We Search, and Newcastle, and played Riley Biers in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third movie in Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga film series.-Early life and education:Samuel was...
- 'Twilight: Eclipse'
Other references
- Ian Clark, Scars in the Landscape: A Register of Massacre Sites in Western Victoria, 1803-1859 (Canberra: AIATSIS, 1995).
- "Dundas Shire Centenary 1863-1963" - Book compiled and published by the Hamilton Spectator for the Dundas Shire Council, 1963.
External links
- Southern Grampians Shire Council (inc Hamilton)
- The Department for Victorian Communities - Southern Grampians
- The Department of Sustainability and the Environment - Hamilton Statistics
- The People's Voice: Australian Community History Online - Hamilton
- Sheepvention
- The Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum
- Hamilton Warriors Baseball CLub Inc.