Hamilton, William B.

William Hamilton was born at Bothwell, Scotland. He emigrated to Queensland with his family in 1861. His father was a businessman in the Bunderberg, operating boats and other enterprises. From the 1870's William Hamilton was operating steamers and by 1882 he was recruiting Melanesian labour. In 1884 he married and by 1887 was a merchant in Eidsvold . From 1894 he operated a charter business for Burns Philp and Co. to Samarai and New Guinea. From 1900 he was engaged in pearling on the Admirality Islands and in Torres and Manning Straits. By 1909 he had acquired land at Choiseul in the Solomons and a second plantation at Bougainville in 1909. He continued to operate the plantations until the 1930's when he retired to Sydney.

From the description of OM71-04 William Hamilton Diary, 1903-1905. (Libraries Australia). WorldCat record id: 755720650

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