Hamilton

Often called the ‘wool capital of the world’, Hamilton is a pleasant city located in Victoria’s Western District. The city is notable for its grand buildings, majestic homesteads and fine landscaped gardens.

Hamilton is in the Southern Grampians Shire area.

Location information

Climate

In summer (January), Hamilton's average minimum temperature is 11.6 degrees, and the average maximum is 25.37. In winter (July) average temperatures range from a minimum of 5.1 to a maximum of 13.4. The town's average annual rainfall is 670.8mm.

Population

9379 (Source: ABS Census 2006).

Cultural diversity

Around 11 percent of people living in Hamilton were born outside Australia.

Migrants have settled in Hamilton from:

  • England (1.9%)
  • New Zealand (1.3%)
  • Netherlands (0.5%)
  • Scotland (0.5%)
  • South Africa (0.2%)

Around four percent of people living in Hamilton speak a language other than English at home.

Languages spoken in Hamilton include:

  • Cantonese (0.3%)
  • Greek (0.1%)
  • German (0.1%)
  • Vietnamese (0.1%)
  • Mandarin (0.1%)

Finding a job

Key industries and employers

The top five industries by employment in Hamilton are:

Industry Hospitals School education Supermarket & grocery stores Cafes, restaurants & takeaway food services Sheep, beef cattle & grain farming
% 7.2 6.4 4.6 3.8 3.7

Local skill shortages

There is no specific information available on skills shortages in Hamilton. Information on skills shortages in the Barwon South West region is available on the South West Victoria map page.

Job search links

To see jobs currently available in Hamilton, visit:

Lifestyle information

Housing and accommodation

In the year to April 2008, the median price of houses sold in Hamilton was $196,750.

In December 2007, the median rent for a two-bedroom flat in Hamilton was $180 per week, and the median rent for a three-bedroom house was $183 per week.

For information about local hotels, motels and caravan parks, visit the Shire of Southern Grampians' accommodation directory.

To find a local real estate agent, visit the REIV agent directory, type 'Hamilton' into the search box, select 'suburb' and then press 'search'.

Healthcare

Western District Health Service is the main health service in Hamilton. For information about healthcare providers in the Hamilton area, please visit the Victorian Better Health Channel's health services directory.

More information on Victoria's healthcare system can be found in the Health & Medical section.

Schools

For information on schools in Hamilton, visit the Schools Online website and search for ‘Hamilton’. More information on Victoria's education system can be found in the Education & Childcare section.

Travel

Distance and travel time

Hamilton is 290km west of Melbourne. You can travel from Hamilton to Melbourne by:

  • car (3 hours 45 minutes)
  • coach & train (4 hours)
  • air (45 minutes)

Nearby towns are:

Public transport

Buses operate around Hamilton, and between the town and surrounding areas. For specific routes and timetables, please visit the regional bus information on VicLink and select from the drop down list.

Places of worship

For information about where you can practice your faith, please visit your religion's Australian website. To find it, visit Google, type in the name of your religion, and select 'pages from Australia'.

Sport and recreation

For more information about sport and recreation in Hamilton, please visit the Southern Grampians Shire website.

Hamilton attractions

  • Visit the Monthly Farmer's Market for locally grown and made produce
  • Try fishing or watersports at Lake Hamilton
  • Take a nature walk to nearby Wannon or Nigretta Falls, or along the volcanic trail
  • Country Race Day (April)

Also See

Last updated: 22 January 2009

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State Government of Victoria