Great Barrier Reef’s Hamilton Island to be bought by US private equity firm in reported $1.2bn sale

Blackstone says it has agreed to buy popular Whitsundays island from Australian winemaking familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHamilton Island, a popular tropical holiday destination on the Great Barrier Reef, has been sold to a US private equity firm, reportedly for $1.2bn.New York-headquartered Blackstone – which owns the casino-hotel chain Crown Resorts – released a statement on Tuesday night announcing it had entered into an agreement to acquire the Hamilton Island resort from the Oatley family, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Continue reading...