Poplars near Westaway south of Hamilton

Hamilton
Unspoilt and charming nineteenth century village
Located 74 km northwest of Hobart on the Lyell Highway, Hamilton is a typical Tasmanian Historic Town combining a setting which dates to the early nineteenth century with a range of historic accommodation. Like Oatlands and Ross it is relatively unspoilt and still sufficiently removed from the over-commercialisation of places like Richmond, to offer the visitor an opportunity to experience what the villages of southern Tasmania were like in the 1830s and 1840s.

The first Europeans into the Hamilton area were the botanist, Robert Brown and his party who attempted to trace the Derwent River to its source in March, 1804. They reached the Hamilton Plains and followed the Fat Doe River (now known as the Clyde) up to the Clyde Falls near the present site of Bothwell.

Hamilton's proximity to Hobart Town meant that the region was visited regularly by search parties, escaped convicts and bushrangers. By the late 1830s the land had been divided and settled.

There are a number of conflicting explanations for the town's name. Some sources claim that it was named Hamilton by Governor Macquarie in 1821 while others claim that in 1829 Governor Arthur named the district after his friend William Henry Hamilton, the Hobart Town Postal Officer. Whatever the origins the town was known as Hamilton by 1835 and by 1859 a traveller could describe the town as 'Here is a neat Church, a handsome bridge, large inns, breweries and some good shops. And round the village are some of the largest landed proprietors in the country possessing 20 000 and even as many as 40 000 sheep'. Hamilton was declared a municipality in 1863.

Things to see:  

Hamilton's Historic Buildings
This sleepy little village has a number of historic buildings. The most important are St Peter's Church (consecrated in 1838), Glen Clyde House (1840), now a craft gallery, and the accommodation at the Old Schoolhouse (1856), Emma's Cottage (1830), George's Cottage (1845), Victoria's Cottage (1845) and the Hamilton Inn (1834).

St Peter's Church
The foundation stone for St Peter's Church was laid in 1834. It was completed in 1837 and consecrated by Bishop Broughton, the only Bishop of Australia, on 8 May 1838.

It is worth noting that the church has only one door. The reason for this was almost certainly to prevent the congregation, which in the early days was about 50 per cent convicts, from attempting to escape. The original church was a simple stone building. There were plans to add a spire to the tower in the 1920s but they never eventuated.

The headstones around the church date back to the 1830s. One of particular interest is that of Sarah Lane who died at the age of 8 years in 1844.

The inscription on the headstone reads:

This little inoffensive child
To Sunday school had trod
But sad to tell was burnt to death
h
Within the house of God

The dropped 'h' is the result of the stonemason getting his measurements wrong while the untimely death of the child as a result of a Sunday school fire seems extraordinary.

There is an interesting history of the church titled A History of St Peter's Anglican Church, Hamilton by Ernest Beavan.

The Old Schoolhouse
The Old Schoolhouse, a huge two storey structure, was built by convict stonemasons in 1858. It is an interesting comment on the times that it was originally constructed so that the Headmaster lived in the room above the central staircase and the children, according to their sex, entered the school from different doors. It was seriously deteriorating and was condemned to be demolished in the early 1970s but its restoration has made it one of Hamilton's most unusual and charming places to stay.

Three Historic Cottages
The three cottages, Emma's, Victoria's and George's, also offer interesting historic accommodation. Like the Old Schoolhouse they were all built of local sandstone by convicts. Their current owner's passion for antiques has meant that they are probably better furnished now than they were when the first residents moved in.

The appeal of Hamilton, which is a truly charming and unspoilt village, is based on its peacefulness and its outstanding range of historic accommodation. It also has an excellent fishing and aquatic area at Lake Meadowbank.

	Hotels
	Hamilton Inn Tarleton St Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3204 Facsimile: (03) 6286 3281 Rating: **
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	The Old Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast Lyell Hwy Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3292 or 1800 815 610 Facsimile: (03) 6286 3292 Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	Hamilton's Historic Cottages "Uralla" Main Rd Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3270 Facsimile: (03) 6286 3324 Rating: ***
	McCauleys Cottage Main Rd Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3258 or 018 123 116 Rating: ****
	Over the Back Holiday Cottage "Curringa" Lyell Hwy Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3332 Facsimile: (03) 6286 3350 Rating: ****
	Hopfield Country Cottages Sassafras Creek Ellendale Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6288 1223 or 014 901 588 Facsimile: (03) 6288 1207 Email: hopfieldcots@trump.net.au Rating: ****
	Restaurants
	Hamilton Inn Restaurant Tarleton St Hamilton TAS 7140 Telephone: (03) 6286 3204