Hinton, Howard (1866-1948)

Howard Hinton (1866–1948) was a British-born Australian art patron and benefactor. Driven by a belief in the value of art for education, Hinton began donating works to the Armidale Teachers' College soon after its opening in 1929, intending that trainee teachers should have daily exposure to fine art as part of their learning.  Over the next two decades he gave more than 1,000 original artworks — paintings, prints and drawings — along with hundreds of art books and related materials, creating a comprehensive collection illustrating the development of Australian art from the 1880s onward.

After the College evolved into a broader tertiary institution and its collections outgrew the campus environment, the Howard Hinton Collection became the foundation of the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale in 1983, where his remarkable contribution to art and education continues to be appreciated.