City of Hamilton: About 300 kilometres west of Melbourne lies Hamilton, a city of approximately 10,000 people. The city is situated in the Western District which is predominantly made up of pastoral land and grazing properties. This is also the centre of the wool growing area and it produces some of the worlds finest wool.
The area was first discovered by Major Thomas Mitchell who was a prominent explorer in his day. It was in 1836 that he first camped on the banks of The Grange Burn and it was on this small river (which he named 'The Grange') where the city was first established. Major Mitchell explored the area extensively and subsequently moved through areas known today as Horsham and Edenhope towards the western border with South Australia. He also named the range of mountains north of Hamilton 'Grampians' which it is said reminded him of the range in his native Scotland.
The area is largely volcanic and Hamilton is surrounded by three prominent (but very extinct) volcanoes, Mount Napier at 447 meters, at 158 meters and Mount Eccles (although it was originally called 'Eeles'). Penshurst is situated at the foot of Mount Rouse and all three volcanoes are connected by ridges of basalt. The craters of Rouse and Eccles have water at the bottom and Eccles in particular is a popular tourist attraction. Mount Napier is named after a colleague of Mitchell's. It was during an expedition to Portland that he climbed Mount Eckersley and from it he could see Mount Napier. He recognised it as being the mountain he had investigated near The Grange Burn and he named it at that time.
Once the fine grazing country was discovered it did not take long for Hamilton to start growing although originally it was 'North Hamilton' and 'South Hamilton'. South Hamilton was the old Grange township. Here was the Post Office and most of the business section while North Hamilton housed most of the townsfolk. From a business point of view the town boasted 3 hotels, a half dozen butchers and a number of saddlers, bootmakers, butchers, bakers and various stores. At that time it was the most central point in the surrounding country, business was brisk and the town grew rapidly.
Progress has caught up with the City and as the popularity of the motor vehicle increased the pace of growth in Hamilton slowed. A good road system has simplified travel to the cities of Warrnambool to the south and Mount Gambier in the south west and this has robbed the area of some of it's commercial viability. However the introduction of other industry and growing tourism has allowed the city to hold it's own. There are numerous scenic attractions in the nearby vicinity and the Grampians ranges has some of the most spectacular scenery in the area. Towards the north the Wannon River flows in a huge semi-circle on it's journey to the sea. Along its passage it passes over two waterfalls. When the river is in full flow the falls are quite spectacular. The falls are 'Nigretta' and 'Wannon' and during the summer months attract many visitors. Because of a view site at the top of the Nigretta Falls it is possible to take some remarkable photographs when the river is in full flow. The Wannon Falls are unique in that it is possible to walk underneath them from one side to the other through a rock over hang. The area has an annual rainfall in the region of 800mm and it is for the most part regular although from time to time droughts are experienced although never as severely as in other parts of the state. The good rainfall ensures that there is an ample supply of trees and these consist of River Red Gum, Yellow Box, and She-oak. Agricultural activities have driven most of the wildlife to the more remote forests and bush areas. For all this though the area still supports a variety of parrots (galahs, cockatoos and rosellas in the main). There are also kangaroos and wallabies to be found along with possums and the rare platypus has been sighted in Lake Hamilton.
This is a very summarised version of the the founding and establishment of Hamilton. It's history is quite complex and encompasses the acquisition and settlement of vast tracts of land. The city is established in an area once inhabited by numerous aboriginal tribes and this involves a far more detailed discussion than is possible here.