Roy Hamilton moved with his family to Derby in 1932 where his father was the school headmaster. He was educated at Northan High School from 1938 and completed an engineering degree at the University of Western Australia in 1938. He worked as an engineer in Carnarvon and Port Hedland developing water supplies for remote towns. Between 1960 and 1963, he worked on the Ord River Scheme and in 1970 he was appointed Kimberley Regional Manager and held the position of Director, North West Department from 1973 until his retirement in 1983. He lived in Kununurra developing a mango plantation until 2004 when he returned to Perth. An active Rotarian, Hamilton was honoured with an OAM in 1998 and a Centenary Medal in 2003.
