John Hindmarsh chaired the NGA Foundation and was a generous benefactor to organisations across the ACT. Photo: Hindmarsh.
Developer and arts patron John Hindmarsh AM has died, leaving a powerful legacy of commitment to the capital. Mr Hindmarsh was 84.
The company he founded in a room in his house 45 years ago has constructed much of Canberra’s skyline, building thousands of apartments, office buildings and commercial developments.
Hindmarsh projects include the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the ANU and the renowned Canberra Theatre Playhouse, beloved by theatre-goers and actors everywhere.
That project was close to Mr Hindmarsh’s heart: he was a dedicated patron of the arts who chaired the Cultural Facilities Corporation board and described the theatre as “an absolute vignette of a performing arts centre”.
He also chaired the National Gallery of Australia foundation, serving as director on its governing council, and he was a generous patron of the national institution.
But despite a business empire that spread as far afield as joint ventures in China, Vietnam and the United States, Mr Hindmarsh and his family resisted pressure to move away from Canberra.
Inaugural Canberra philanthropy award recipients in 2022: Jo Farrell and John Hindmarsh with outgoing Hands Across Canberra chair Di Kargas Bray (centre). Photo: Supplied.
He was a director of Hands Across Canberra, the ACT’s community foundation and in 2022, received the foundation’s Inaugural Canberra philanthropy award.
He was always visionary about what the city could become, with a commitment to excellence. He spent up to half his time and energy in later years focusing on arts philanthropy, a cause that resonated deeply with his wife Rosanna to whom he was married for 60 years.
“What I would like is to see that whole precinct [Civic Square] significantly built in its physical form to reinforce the whole centre of the city. Having the arts, those artistic capabilities, right in the middle of the city is a great start”, he said when appointed to chair the CFC board.
He was equally passionate about the city’s historic places, including Lanyon Homestead, which he described as “one of our national treasures”.
Following his retirement from the CFC Board, his financial donation made possible the establishment of the CMAG on the Square Gallery, creating an opportunity for artists and makers from the Canberra region to create site-specific installations.
CFC CEO Gordon Ramsay described Mr Hindmarsh as “a strong and insightful leader … who provided energy, insight and generosity in the role, and formed a powerful connection between the local and national arts scenes”.
Born in Manly and educated at Sydney Grammar School, perhaps the passion and good judgment stemmed from his early days spent studying architecture before switching to development and a degree in building at the University of NSW. One of his earliest projects as a builder was a military training facility in Papua New Guinea.
He and Rosanna fell in love with Canberra when they moved here in 1971 for a role with AV Jennings. They raised their family here and founded Hindmarsh Construction in the family home in 1979 with a single employee.
An eye for quality was embedded as the company flourished, growing to include multiple business ventures, including Australian Capital Ventures, projects with the CSIRO and other government and private partners.
Today, Hindmarsh employs 310 staff and has delivered over $6 billion worth of projects, including Woden Green and Seventy One in Campbell, the site of the company’s original headquarters.
A focus on ethics and integrity was at the core of the business.
Reflecting on the 45th anniversary, his daughter Fiona said, “Putting reputation and integrity ahead of profit was always how Dad operated. It’s informed everything we’ve done since, and how the business continues to operate.”
In Canberra’s centenary year, Mr Hindmarsh was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Canberra community through construction and philanthropy.
“We always aim to create something at Hindmarsh for everything we stand for. We have a team of professionals in development and building who have the same personal passion and dedication, and our result is projects we are immensely proud of, and the result is a place that you can call home for generations to come,” Mr Hindmarsh said
John Hindmarsh is survived by his wife Rosanna, his children Fiona, Rowan and Stewart, and nine grandchildren.
