Francis Henry Critchley Hinder (26 June 1906 – 31 December 1992) was an Australian painter, sculptor and art teacher who is also known for his camouflage designs in World War II.
His father was a prominent surgeon,[1][2] He was born in the family home Carleton a grand Italianate Victorian mansion in Summer Hill, New South Wales.
[4] In the mid-1930s he worked as a commercial artist in the United States and taught at the Child-Walker School of Fine Art, Boston.
[5] Working with Professor William Dakin, a Sydney University zoologist, and the civilian Sydney Camouflage Group, Hinder was seconded to the Camouflage Wing of the Royal Australian Engineers (1942–44) during World War II where he designed the Hinder Spider, a garnished conical frame for concealing a man, and dummy aircraft such as the Hindup.
[7][8] As an artist he is best known for his abstract paintings, yet he also produced work across a diverse range of materials, including drawings and electric-light sculptures.