Hamilton, Victoria

From Freepedia

Hamilton (37°44′ S 142°01′ E) is a town of 9000 people, three hours drive west of Melbourne. Self described as the "Wool Capital of the World", it boasts the Big Woolbales as a significant tourist attraction.

Hamilton is on the intersection of the Glenelg Highway (from Ballarat to Mount Gambier) and the Henty Highway (from Portland to Horsham). The Hamilton Highway also connects it to Geelong.

From 1881 William Guilfoyle, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne was employed to design the Hamilton botanic gardens. Set in four acres (16,000 m²), the gardens are distinguished by rare botanic species, a superbly restored rotunda, a small zoo and playground and the ornate Thomson Fountain. The National Trust of Australia classified the gardens in 1990 with eight tree species listed on the Register of Significant Trees in Victoria.

Hamilton is in the federal Division of Wannon.