Hamilton Island (Queensland) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Hamilton Island
Geography
Hamilton Island marina, 2012

Location	Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	20°21′12″S 148°57′43″E / 20.3533°S 148.9620°E / -20.3533; 148.9620
Archipelago	Whitsunday Islands
Area	7.53 km² (2.91 sq mi)
Administration
Australia
State	Queensland
LGA	Whitsunday Region
Demographics
Population	1,759 (2021 census)

Hamilton Island is a beautiful island located in the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia. It's about 887 kilometers (551 miles) north of Brisbane and 512 kilometers (318 miles) south of Cairns.

This island is the biggest one in the Whitsunday group that people live on. It's a very popular place for tourists to visit all year round! Hamilton Island is special because it's one of the few islands in the amazing Great Barrier Reef that has its own airport. This means you can fly directly there from big cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

In 2021, about 1,759 people lived on Hamilton Island.

Geography
- Climate
History
Education
Facilities
Transport
Images for kids
See also

Geography

Like many islands in the Whitsunday group, Hamilton Island was formed a long, long time ago. As sea levels rose, they covered mountains that were close to the east coast of Queensland, creating these islands. Hamilton Island is one of the larger islands in this group.

One of the popular spots is Catseye Beach. This beach faces north and was made by people. It's open for everyone to enjoy, whether you're staying at the island's resorts or just visiting for the day.

Climate

Hamilton Island has a tropical savanna climate. This means it has a hot and rainy season during the summer months. The winter months are warm but much drier.

History

Hamilton Island is thought to be named after a crew member from a survey team that mapped the area between 1866 and 1868. Later, in 1975, the island was bought by Keith Williams and Bryan Byrt. They planned to use it for grazing animals.

In 1978, Keith Williams started building the Hamilton Island Harbour and the resort complex. The resort opened in different stages between 1982 and 1984. Sadly, a fire destroyed a big part of the resort in 1985, but it was quickly rebuilt by 1986. New parts of the resort, like the Whitsunday Holiday Apartments and the Reef View Hotel, opened in the following years.

The island changed owners a few times. In 2003, the Oatley family, who are known for their winemaking business, bought the island. They put it up for sale again in 2023.

Hamilton Island State School, a local school for children, first opened its doors on January 28, 1986.

In 1987, Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison and his wife Olivia Harrison built a special home on the island. They called it "Letsbeavenue" and lived there during parts of the year. Their home was sold in 2008 but is still there today.

More recently, in 2009, two important new places were finished on the island. The Hamilton Island Yacht Club officially opened during Hamilton Island Race Week. Also, the Hamilton Island Golf Club opened in August 2009. This 18-hole golf course is on the nearby Dent Island. It's known as the only championship island golf course in Australia.

In 2009, Tourism Queensland ran a famous campaign called "The Best Job in the World". They looked for someone to be a "Caretaker of the Islands" and live on Hamilton Island for six months, exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

Sometimes, managing wildlife on the island is necessary to keep people safe and protect property. Between 2014 and 2016, some animals like common brushtail possums and agile wallabies had their numbers controlled. This was done to prevent damage and ensure the safety of visitors and staff, especially near the airport and resort areas. The resort management said they only do this as a last resort after trying other methods.

Education

Hamilton Island State School is for students from the first year of school (Preparatory Year) up to Year 6. It's located in the north-west part of the island, between the marina and Catseye Beach. The school offers fun extra activities too! For example, older students (Years 4, 5, and 6) can learn how to sail. From 2018, Year 4 students also got the chance to earn a PADI Seal Diving certificate, which is a special diving qualification.

There are no high schools directly on the island or very close by. So, if students want to continue their education after Year 6, they can either learn through distance education (studying from home) or go to a boarding school.

Facilities

Getting fresh drinking water on an island is important! Hamilton Island gets its water from a mix of collecting rainwater, a dam, and turning seawater into drinking water. A special plant that uses Reverse osmosis was built in 1996. It can make up to 1.3 million liters (about 343,000 gallons) of clean water every day! Electricity for the island comes from an undersea cable connected to the mainland, as well as from generators on the island itself.

The Hamilton Island Airport was one of the first big buildings on the island, built in the early 1980s.

Hamilton Island is also a very popular place for weddings, hosting around 500 weddings each year at its different venues.

The Oatley family, who own Hamilton Island, also bought the nearby Dent Island. This is where the amazing Hamilton Island Golf Course is located.

Transport

Hamilton Island Airport is the only airport in the Whitsunday Islands that can handle larger commercial airplanes. This makes it easy for many visitors to fly directly to the island.

Hamilton Island is also connected by several ferries. These ferries carry passengers to and from the mainland and other islands. It's interesting to know that regular cars from the mainland are not allowed on Hamilton Island. Only vehicles for tradespeople and the island's public transport are permitted.