Gordon Hamilton was born in 1937, the youngest of five children. His family owned a pineapple farm in Elimbah. The family had a US army base on part of the property, which went down to the Bribie Island passage. Imagine how excited Gordon got being driven round in a US army jeep.
Schooling started at a one teacher school in Elimbah, then to Caboolture. Tennis was his passion, representing Queensland in the under 14 State Team. It was to be his career.
But his parents had other plans. The Department of Agriculture sent a circular to all farmers in Queensland, stating that they in conjunction with a semi government company were offering trainee management scholarships for grower’s sons. The plan was to appoint two a year for five years. After three interviews, Gordon won the first scholarship.
His plans to go to Brisbane Boys’ College and become a serious Tennis Player, were dashed and he had to go to Ipswich Grammar.
After schooling, he was sent to Sydney, then Melbourne and Albury to study accounting for three years and management for two years.
He was transferred to the canning division, Golden Circle with the task of opening and managing a sales office in Sydney.
One year later at age 25, the Company asked Gordon to go to London for one year, and work with its agents, and both the Queensland and Australian Governments. At the Company’s request, he ended up staying three years..
Returning to Australia when he was 27, Gordon moved back to manage Golden Circle’s Sydney office. 12 months later he was asked to look at a small sporting goods company. There was nothing wrong with the company, only the management. With special permission from Golden Circle he bought the business with a partner.
They expanded the business very quickly, and two years later their largest customer bought the partners out on the condition that Gordon become Managing Director of his Company. He took the number of staff from seven to 181.
In 1970, the Australian Government asked Gordon to go to China and attend a large trade fair, beginning his association with China.
Five years later the company’s largest supplier of football equipment was Umbro, UK which asked Gordon to manage and invest in a factory in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Several years later and 20 weeks a year travel, a sea change from Sydney to Brisbane.
All his life Gordon was sponsored by Slazenger, and it was only after his third hip replacement that he gave up competition tennis. When Slazenger heard he was leaving Umbro, Gordon was offered the franchise for Queensland. As his eldest boy was about to enter High School in Sydney, they decided that the boys should go to the same School and University. Hence the move back to Brisbane in 1970.
He formed his own manufacturing and distribution company, becoming very involved with a large Chinese company with a factory in Chewchow.
The year 2000 saw Gordon’s retirement from work, and a move from Brisbane to Caloundra, Pelican Waters. Numerous hip replacements have stopped the tennis, but golf has become a suitable replacement.
Four granddaughters and two grandsons spread from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne ensure regular travel across the east coast.
Gordon became a Rotarian when he joined the Rotary Club of Caloundra on 14 July 2015. He has led the Golf Day Committee since then.
He was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2018. More about this recognition here