Born in Jarrahdale, Western Australia, he was educated at Perth Boys School before becoming a wheat and sugar farmer.

In 1946, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Country Party member for Swan, defeating Labor MP Don Mountjoy.

Hamilton later served as President of the Western Australian branch of the Country Party.

He served as a sapper with the 9th Field Company of the Australian Engineers, leaving Australia in March 1918 and returning in July 1919.

[3] Hamilton subsequently settled in Beacon, Western Australia, where he established a wheat and sheep farm.

[5] In May 1940, Hamilton enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an ordinary aircraftman.

[6] Hamilton first ran for parliament at the 1939 Western Australian state election, standing unsuccessfully as an independent in the Legislative Assembly seat of Mount Marshall.

[5] Later in 1939, fellow independent Claude Barker resigned from the Legislative Assembly and endorsed Hamilton as his successor in the neighbouring seat of Irwin-Moore.