Hamilton

Hamilton, city in the fertile western region of Victoria, Australia, on the Grange Burn River. The original village (founded in 1850) grew around an inn on the north bank of the river and was called The Grange. It became an important way station for coach traffic in the 1850s between Portland and the goldfields. Renamed Hamilton, it became a municipality in 1859, a town in 1928, and a city in 1949. Situated on the Henty and Glenelg highways, Hamilton is linked to Melbourne, 165 miles (266 km) to the east, by rail. The Hamilton Art Gallery holds fine collections of ceramics, silverware, porcelain, and glass. There are also several schools as well as a small museum of Aboriginal culture. Its industries include knitting mills and sawmills, dairy plants, and wallboard manufacturing. Pop. (2001) urban centre, 9,119; (2011) gazetted locality, 10,104.