The meteoric rise of young boxer Hubie Hinton in northern boxing back in the 1920s can be largely attributed to his upbringing in a family known as the ‘Sporting Hintons’.

It all began with their father Richard (Dick Hinton), a gun shearer who also made a name for himself on the cricket pitch as part of the Goolhi cricket team.

Born on March 15, 1876, at what was known as Hinton’s Rock near Coonabarabran, Dick’s father was a colonel in the British Army who settled in Australia and raised a family of 10 children. Dick Hinton was the youngest boy.

In a letter to Gunnedah & District Historical Society president, the late John Buchanan, in 1982, Dick Hinton’s son Gordon said his father’s parents had died when he was six and he was taken to Goolhi by the station cook, a chap named Johnny Hodge, who reared him until he reached manhood.

Like his brothers, Dick Hinton turned to shearing to make a living and he shore his first sheep with blades at Goolhi Station when he was just 16 – Mr Wardell, who owned Goolhi at the time, was cricket-mad and is credited with making the first turf wicket outside Sydney.

Gordon Hinton said the Goolhi cricket team had played in the station competition against Bando, Rocky Glen and Garrawilla. He said the main matches were played at the wine shanty at the top of Abbott’s Gap. The match would be played on a Saturday, followed by a dance on the Saturday night – plus, as usual in those days, a few fights followed and all would return to their various stations on the Sunday.

Dick and Louisa Hinton married in 1895 and lived near Talibah Flat, just off the (old) Tamworth Road, which at the time was accessed via Henry Street.

As a top-class class cricketer, Dick Hinton Snr was opening bat for Gunnedah for 25 years and became the father of the “three sporting Hintons”.

The 10 children in order were Richard Jnr (1897), Hubert (1899), Wallace (1900), Doris (1903), Gordon (1904), Violet (1908), Jeane (1909), Maude (1913), Avis (1914), Olga (1916).

Richard (Dick) Hinton Jnr, the eldest brother of the Sporting Hintons, shone as a rifleman, cricketer and swimmer and played football. He was one of the state’s top marksmen.

Dick Hinton Jnr, Hubert and Wallace were all outstanding in the sporting arena, while Gordon Hinton became a champion swimmer, winning the Namoi River Title in 1925. His father Dick Hinton Snr and Frank Hamilton had played an important role in staging swimming carnivals and the Championship of the Namoi, first at Pritchard’s Paddock, the second at the Police Paddock (now known as Cushan’s), and the third near Cohen’s Bridge. Dick encouraged his sons to play sport under the limited facilities that existed in those days and all became good swimmers.

Dick Hinton, the eldest brother of the Sporting Hintons, shone as a rifleman, cricketer and swimmer and played football. He was one of the state’s top marksmen and was operating markers at Hornsby Rifle Range when he died. He was, like his brothers, a good swimmer and a good cricketer and played rugby league with the ‘Blues’ in the local competition, while Hubie, as well as his boxing fame and prowess as a rugby league player, was also an outstanding swimmer, winning the Championship of the Namoi against such opponents as “Bun” Hamilton, Basil Hamilton, Harry Delaforce, Andy Neader and “Sunny” Riley.

Walter (Joe) Hamilton was a keen boxer, and although not of the same calibre as Hubie Hinton, fought a number of preliminary bouts to Hubie Hinton with some success. He was also a good swimmer though not gaining as much success as Hubie and Gordon Hinton.

Newspaper articles of the day reported that Gordon Hinton achieved his greatest sporting success, in the Maher Cup football in the Riverina between 1926 and 1932, when he played with Cootamundra. He represented Group 9 in 1928 when they played a 13-all draw with the visiting English side. Gordon’s team went on to win the country championships in 1932, defeating top teams at Parkes, Scone and Glen Innes to win the title. The team was bundled out by only two points after going down to Sydney’s top teams of the day, Western Suburbs and South Sydney, losing their chance to grab a state title. He won the Namoi River Title in 1925 and performed with considerable success in cycle racing against such opponents as Earl Hussey, Fred “Plugger” Martin, James “Sticker” Brady, Fred Baker and George Kirkpatrick.

Gordon Hinton did not follow his father into the shearing game, he began his working life as a blacksmith and horse shoer and then turned to firefighting, serving with the NSW Fire Brigade until his retirement, also captaining the Sydney Fire Brigade League Team in 1936. Gordon was the last surviving member of the family, when he passed on his family photos, newspaper clippings and his father’s shearing tally books to the historical society.

One of the talented Hinton brothers, Gordon, was a champion swimmer but who achieved his greatest sporting success in the Maher Cup football in the Riverina between 1926 and 1932. He also represented Group 9 in 1928 when they played a 13-all draw with the visiting English side.

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