Hamilton Hume (19 June 1797-19 April 1873) was an Australian explorer. Born in Parramatta, a settlement close to (and now a suburb of) Sydney, Hume began exploring as a teenager, and made several journeys before his famous 1824-25 expedition with William Hovell, which discovered the overland route between Sydney and Port Phillip Bay, on whose shores Melbourne now stands. This famous overland journey (Hume and Hovell expedition) is commemmorated by the Hume Highway, the principal road between Sydney and Melbourne. Hume and Hovell were also comemmorated by having their portraits printed on the Australian one-pound banknote between 1953 and 1966.
In 1828, Hume journeyed with Sturt into western New South Wales, where they discovered the Darling River, the Murray River's longest tributary.
Hume later served as a magistrate in Yass until his death.
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