Hamilton, Tasmania

Town in Tasmania, Australia

Hamilton
Tasmania

Hamilton

Coordinates| 42°33′22″S 146°50′02″E﻿ / ﻿42.556°S 146.834°E﻿ / -42.556; 146.834
Population| 241 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)| 7140
Location|

* 73 km (45 mi) NW of Hobart
* 37 km (23 mi) NW of New Norfolk
* 20 km (12 mi) SE of Ouse

LGA(s)| Central Highlands Council
Region| Central
State electorate(s)| Lyons
Federal division(s)| Lyons
| Mean max temp[2] | Mean min temp[2] | Annual rainfall[2]

|
|

18.4 °C
65 °F | 5.6 °C
42 °F | 511.1 mm
20.1 in
| Localities around Hamilton:

Ouse | Hollow Tree | Hollow Tree
Ouse | Hamilton | Pelham
Meadowbank, Ellendale | Gretna | Gretna

Hamilton is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Central Highlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about 73 kilometres (45 mi) north-west of the city of Hobart. The 2016 census recorded a population of 241 for the suburb of Hamilton.[1]

## History

[edit]

Hamilton was gazetted as a locality in 1959.[3]

Governor Lachlan Macquarie named the locality "Sorell Plains",[4] 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.[5][failed verification] Hamilton was named after William Henry Hamilton,[6] a wealthy free settler who had arrived in Van Diemen's Land in April 1824.

Hamilton Post Office opened on 1 June 1832.[7]

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

[edit]

Cricketer Percy Lewis was born here in 1864.[8] Tasmanian artist Edith Lilla Holmes was born here in 1893.[9]

## Road infrastructure

[edit]

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.[3][10]

## Geography

[edit]

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.[11]

### Climate

[edit]

Hamilton has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), with mild, dry summers and cool, somewhat damp winters. Average maxima vary from 25.6 °C (78.1 °F) in January to 11.7 °C (53.1 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 10.4 °C (50.7 °F) in January and 1.2 °C (34.2 °F) 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 (20.12 in) spread on 148.4 days, and is concentrated in winter. Snow is not uncommon.

Extreme temperatures have ranged from −7.8 °C (18.0 °F) on 24 June 2013 to 40.7 °C (105.3 °F) on 11 January 2010.[12] Climate data are sourced from Ouse (Fire Station), a town 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Hamilton.

Climate data for Ouse Fire Station (42º28'48"S, 146º42'36"E, 90 m AMSL) (1998–2024)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 40.7
(105.3)  | 39.0
(102.2)  | 37.9
(100.2)  | 31.4
(88.5)  | 26.0
(78.8)  | 19.3
(66.7)  | 19.6
(67.3)  | 22.5
(72.5)  | 27.1
(80.8)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 35.0
(95.0)  | 40.0
(104.0)  | 40.7
(105.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 25.6
(78.1)  | 24.9
(76.8)  | 22.3
(72.1)  | 18.4
(65.1)  | 14.8
(58.6)  | 11.9
(53.4)  | 11.7
(53.1)  | 13.5
(56.3)  | 15.8
(60.4)  | 18.0
(64.4)  | 21.0
(69.8)  | 23.1
(73.6)  | 18.4
(65.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 10.4
(50.7)  | 9.8
(49.6)  | 8.1
(46.6)  | 5.3
(41.5)  | 3.6
(38.5)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 1.2
(34.2)  | 2.0
(35.6)  | 3.9
(39.0)  | 5.3
(41.5)  | 7.3
(45.1)  | 8.8
(47.8)  | 5.6
(42.1)
Record low °C (°F)  | −0.4
(31.3)  | 0.2
(32.4)  | −3.2
(26.2)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | −6.3
(20.7)  | −7.8
(18.0)  | −6.8
(19.8)  | −6.7
(19.9)  | −4.8
(23.4)  | −3.6
(25.5)  | −2.7
(27.1)  | −0.4
(31.3)  | −7.8
(18.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 29.6
(1.17)  | 27.7
(1.09)  | 31.3
(1.23)  | 31.5
(1.24)  | 38.5
(1.52)  | 43.4
(1.71)  | 51.6
(2.03)  | 61.2
(2.41)  | 63.4
(2.50)  | 55.3
(2.18)  | 38.8
(1.53)  | 36.2
(1.43)  | 511.1
(20.12)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.7  | 7.6  | 9.0  | 9.9  | 13.0  | 14.5  | 16.7  | 17.0  | 15.6  | 14.7  | 11.9  | 10.8  | 148.4
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)  | 39  | 41  | 47  | 55  | 63  | 71  | 68  | 61  | 57  | 54  | 49  | 43  | 54
Average dew point °C (°F)  | 7.5
(45.5)  | 8.4
(47.1)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 7.2
(45.0)  | 6.3
(43.3)  | 5.3
(41.5)  | 4.8
(40.6)  | 4.7
(40.5)  | 5.2
(41.4)  | 6.3
(43.3)  | 7.6
(45.7)  | 7.0
(44.6)  | 6.6
(43.8)
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Hamilton (Tas.) - 2021 Census All persons QuickStats". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
2. ^ a b c d "Ouse Fire Station Climate Statistics (1973-2024)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
3. ^ a b "Placenames Tasmania – Hamilton". Placenames Tasmania. Select “Search”, enter "1031B", click “Search”, select row, map is displayed, click “Details”. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
4. ^ "TASMANIA'S EARLY DAYS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas. 19 July 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 31 December 2014 - via National Library of Australia.
5. ^ "Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser (Hobart, Tas. : 1825 - 1827) - 28 Jul 1826 - p3". Colonial Times and Tasmanian Advertiser. 28 July 1826. p. 3 - via Trove.
6. ^ "William Henry Hamilton (1790–1870)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
7. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
8. ^ "Percy Lewis". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
9. ^ Backhouse, Sue, "Holmes, Edith Lilla (1893–1973)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 26 May 2020
10. ^ "Tasmanian Road Route Codes" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
11. ^ "Hamilton, Tasmania" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
12. ^ "Ouse Fire Station Climate (1973-2024)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Stoddart, D. Michael (1993). Walk to the West. Hobart: The Royal Society of Tasmania. ISBN 0-9598679-9-6.
* 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. ISBN 0-7316-2438-6

Authority control databases

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