Blackstone says it has agreed to buy popular Whitsundays island from Australian winemaking family Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Hamilton 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...