Hamilton (Tasmanien)

Hamilton is a small rural town 73km north-west of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. It is on the Lyell Highway. At the 2006 census, the town and surrounding area had a population of 300.Governor Macquarie named the locality as 'Sorell Plains', and it became locally known as 'Macquarie' and 'Lower Clyde'.Governor Arthur finalised a name for the locality and this was announced in 1826 (Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser, Friday 28 July 1826, page 3). Hamilton was named after William Henry Hamilton, a wealthy free settler who had arrived in Van Diemen's Land in April 1824.Hamilton Post Office opened on 1 June 1832.Hamilton was once a bustling frontier town that contained many inns and several working breweries.It contains a few small shops and buildings, such as the court house, many of them dating back to convict times.Cricketer Percy Lewis was born here in 1864.Further reading Beavan, Ernest G. (1988) Take heed lest you forget: a history of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Hamilton, Tasmania. Hamilton, Tas. St. Peter’s Church Vestry.