The Ramplin Family own The Northern Star Hotel and is a family run hotel. The Hotel was originally purchased by Des in 1986 as a lease hold hotel. The Northern Star has grown from a small one bar hotel to a hotel that prides itself on offering an up to date, clean and respectful environment catering for the latest gaming machines, the best entertainment of a culturally diverse range, great friendly bars with top brasserie/bistro dinning.

In 1990 the Hotel was put up for sale, which Des purchased from Tooths Pty Ltd. This meant that Des owned both the lease and the freehold of The Northern Star Hotel. The hotel has since changed with a number of renovations occurring.

The Northern Star was not built until relatively late in the history of Hamilton (1877), however it is one of the oldest surviving hotels in the area. In the 1850's Hamilton was known as "Borehole" after the "Borehole Pit" which was the local mine, all the residents of the area would have been employed in some manner by this mine, and a young man by the name of Thomas Tudor opened the first ever Inn in 1854, which was called "The Lame Dog".

Thomas Tudor had a reputation as a runner and athlete. Foot racing was the principle sport of the time and professional running was booming all over the Colony of New South Wales. T. Tudor is recorded as winning one of the first ever race's over a distance of 400 yards, and has had Tudor Street named after him, although whether this had anything to do with his running is pure speculation.

In 1877, while Beaumont St (named after one of the Borehole Mine Managers) was merely a sandy track, Richard Nicols opened a new hotel on the corner of Beaumont and James Streets, which he named the "Northern Star". It was a brick two storey with eight bedrooms, large balcony, bar, cellar and detached brick kitchen. There was also three stall stables and a four roomed weatherboard cottage. In later years this became Hamiltons leading hotel.

The Earth Quake of 28 December 1989 was an unexpected and traumatic experience for all those living in Newcastle. Hardest hit by the damage was Hamilton and the Newcastle CBD.