Hamilton (district) facts for kids

Hamilton
Council's headquarters: Town House, 102 Cadzow Street, Hamilton
Hamilton district within Scotland
Geography
Status	District
HQ	Hamilton
History
Created	16 May 1975
Abolished	31 March 1996
Succeeded by	(Part of) South Lanarkshire
Quick facts for kids Demography
1994 population	105,202
Politics
Governance	Hamilton District Council

Hamilton (called Hamaltan in Scottish Gaelic) was a special area in Scotland. It was a "district" that had its own local government. This means it had a council that managed local services.

Hamilton district was part of a larger area called the Strathclyde "region." It was located south-east of Glasgow, which was the main city of the Strathclyde region. The Hamilton district existed from 1975 until 1996.

History of Hamilton District

How Hamilton District Was Created

The Hamilton district was started in 1975. This happened because of a new law called the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. This law changed how local areas were managed across Scotland. It created two main levels of local government:

• Bigger areas called "regions" (like Strathclyde).
• Smaller areas within regions called "districts" (like Hamilton).

Hamilton was one of nineteen districts in the Strathclyde region.

Areas That Formed Hamilton District

Before 1975, the land that became Hamilton district was part of an older area called Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire was a "historic county," which is like an old way of dividing up land.

When the new districts were made, parts of four older areas from Lanarkshire joined together to form Hamilton district:

• The town of Hamilton itself, which used to be a "Burgh" (a town with its own special rights).
• Most of the Fourth District.
• Some parts of the Sixth District, including Bothwell and Uddingston.
• Most of the Eighth District, including Blantyre.

Towns and Villages in the District

The district was named after its biggest town, Hamilton.

• To the north of Hamilton, the district included villages like Uddingston and Bothwell. It also had the mining town of Blantyre.
• To the south, the area became more countryside. It included towns like Larkhall and villages such as Ashgill and Stonehouse.

When Hamilton District Ended

Hamilton district stopped existing in 1996. This was due to another new law, the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. This law changed things again. It replaced the "regions" and "districts" with new, larger areas called "unitary council areas."

The new South Lanarkshire council area was formed. It took over the land that used to be Hamilton district, along with other districts like Clydesdale and East Kilbride.

Political Control of Hamilton District

Who Ran the Council?

The first election for the Hamilton District Council happened in 1974. The council started its official work on May 16, 1975.

Here's how different political groups controlled the council over the years:

• Scottish Labour: This political party was in charge for most of the time.
• No overall control: This means no single party had enough elected members to be completely in charge. Different parties had to work together.

Council Buildings

The Hamilton District Council had its main office in the Town House. This building is located at 102 Cadzow Street in Hamilton. It was built a long time ago, between 1906 and 1928, for the old Hamilton Town Council.

After the Hamilton District Council closed in 1996, the Town House was updated. It already had a library inside. Now it is used for more community activities. The new council, South Lanarkshire Council, still has some offices there. However, their main headquarters are nearby at the Lanark County Buildings.

See also

• 1992 Hamilton District Council election
• Subdivisions of Scotland