Australian Dictionary of Biography

Sir Lincoln Carruthers Hynes (1912-1977), sportsman, radio and television manager, and hospital administrator, was born on 14 April 1912 at Balmain, Sydney, second son and fifth child of native-born parents Rev. Francis William Hynes, Methodist minister, and his wife Mabel Evelyn, daughter of Rev. J. E. Carruthers and niece of Sir Joseph Carruthers. Lincoln was educated at North Sydney and Sydney boys' high schools where he acquired the name of 'Bob'. Sport was a central part of his life. A fast-medium, left-arm bowler and right-hand, middle-order batsman, he played four seasons for New South Wales from 1935-36. His greatest achievement was to execute a trap, set by his captain Alan McGilvray, to dismiss (Sir) Donald Bradman for a duck, caught at leg slip, at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1936. Hynes later relished re-telling and re-enacting this dismissal, which loomed larger than his best first-class figures of 6 for 25 against Victoria. He was also a first-grade Rugby Union referee and prominent in the Northbridge Bowling Club, winning the singles, pairs and fours, and becoming patron of the club.

Hynes had enrolled in law at the University of Sydney, but soon left to work for Louis Dreyfus & Co. (1932-35), Neptune Oil Co. Ltd (1935-36), W. Dunlop & Co. Pty Ltd (1936-42) and Independent Oil Industries Ltd (1942-43). At Wesley Chapel, Sydney, on 29 July 1939 he married Enid May Brunskill. Joining the Royal Australian Air Force on 16 March 1943, he was commissioned in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch on 20 May 1944 and promoted flying officer in November. He served at R.A.A.F. Headquarters, Melbourne, and as an area sports officer at Milne Bay, Papua (1943-44), and at the School of Administration, Melbourne.

Following his demobilization on 7 February 1946, Hynes was employed as a part-time sports commentator with radio 2GB and rose to be sales manager of Macquarie Broadcasting Services Pty Ltd. In 1951 he moved to Brisbane to manage radio 4BC for M. F. Albert's Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation Pty Ltd, then returned to Sydney in 1956 as general manager of C.B.C., based on radio 2UW with a network of stations in New South Wales and Queensland.

A gregarious individual, Hynes enjoyed the fraternity of cricketers and helped to launch the broadcasting careers of K. A. and R. G. Archer, whom he recruited for radio-stations 4BC and 2UW respectively; Ken Archer later became Hynes's right-hand man in the C.B.C. and succeeded him as its chief executive. Hynes was influential in the Australian Federation of Commercial Broadcasting Stations for many years and its president in 1958-72. He was also closely involved with the introduction of television and was a director (from 1960) and chairman (from 1970) of Darling Downs TV Ltd. His extensive business interests led to his appointments as Australasian chairman (from 1972) of Cook (Thomas) Pty Ltd and as a director (1976) of City Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd.

Hynes had been associated with the Royal North Shore Hospital from 1960 and was chairman (1968-77) of its board. He helped to raise funds for the hospital chapel (posthumously named after him), and oversaw major hospital extensions. Active in many other associations involved with health care, he was president (1973-74) of the Australian Hospital Association. In 1967 he was appointed O.B.E.; in 1971 he was knighted. Sir Lincoln belonged to the Rotary Club of Sydney, the United Service, the American National and Pymble Golf clubs, the Cricketers' Club of New South Wales and to four bowling clubs. An accomplished musician, he was organist at several Sydney churches; as a baritone, he was highly placed in radio 2GB's 'Australia's Amateur Hour'. He liked gardening at his Killara home. Survived by his wife and three daughters, he died of acidosis on 7 August 1977 at R.N.S.H. and was cremated.