Hamilton, Tasmania

History

Hamilton was gazetted as a locality in 1959.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie named the locality "Sorell Plains", and it became locally known as "Macquarie" and "Lower Clyde".

Governor George Arthur finalised a name for the locality and this was announced in 1826. 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.

Notable people

Cricketer Percy Lewis was born here in 1864. Tasmanian artist Edith Lilla Holmes was born here in 1893.

Road infrastructure

Route A10 (Lyell Highway) runs through from south-east to west. Route B110 (Hollow Tree Road) starts at an intersection with A10 and runs north-east until it exits. Route C182 (Thousand Acre Lane) starts at an intersection with A10 and runs east until it exits.

Geography

The River Derwent (Meadowbank Lake) forms the south-western boundary. The Clyde River flows through from north to south after forming a small part of the northern boundary.

Climate

Hamilton has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with mild, dry summers and cool, somewhat damp winters. Average maxima vary from 25.6 C in January to 11.7 C in July while average minima fluctuate between 10.4 C in January and 1.2 C in July. Due to its inland location and being downwind of the Central Highlands, midsummer freezes have been recorded, while foehn winds occur (primarily in summer). Mean annual precipitation is quite low, 511.1 mm spread on 148.4 days, and is concentrated in winter. Snow is not uncommon.

Extreme temperatures have ranged from -7.8 C on 24 June 2013 to 40.7 C on 11 January 2010.{{cite web

|Jan record high C = 40.7 |Feb record high C = 39.0 |Mar record high C = 37.9 |Apr record high C = 31.4 |May record high C = 26.0 |Jun record high C = 19.3 |Jul record high C = 19.6 |Aug record high C = 22.5 |Sep record high C = 27.1 |Oct record high C = 32.0 |Nov record high C = 35.0 |Dec record high C = 40.0 |Jan record low C = -0.4 |Feb record low C = 0.2 |Mar record low C = -3.2 |Apr record low C = -5.6 |May record low C = -6.3 |Jun record low C = -7.8 |Jul record low C = -6.8 |Aug record low C = -6.7 |Sep record low C = -4.8 |Oct record low C = -3.6 |Nov record low C = -2.7 |Dec record low C = -0.4 |Jan dew point C = 7.5 |Feb dew point C = 8.4 |Mar dew point C = 8.3 |Apr dew point C = 7.2 |May dew point C = 6.3 |Jun dew point C = 5.3 |Jul dew point C = 4.8 |Aug dew point C = 4.7 |Sep dew point C = 5.2 |Oct dew point C = 6.3 |Nov dew point C = 7.6 |Dec dew point C = 7.0

References

References

1. (28 June 2022). "Hamilton (Tas.) - 2021 Census All persons QuickStats". [[Australian Bureau of Statistics]].
2. . ["Placenames Tasmania – Hamilton"](https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1). *Placenames Tasmania*.
3. (19 July 1928). "TASMANIA'S EARLY DAYS.". [[The Mercury (Hobart).
4. (28 July 1826). "Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1825 - 1827) - 28 Jul 1826 - p3". [[Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser]].
5. "Australian Dictionary of Biography". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
6. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions.
7. "Percy Lewis". ESPN Cricinfo.
8. Backhouse, Sue. "Holmes, Edith Lilla (1893–1973)". National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
9. (May 2017). "Tasmanian Road Route Codes". Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment.
10. "Hamilton, Tasmania".