Hinchcliffe was born at Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire to Ezra Hinchcliffe, a cotton warehouse worker, and his wife, Alice (née Gatside). His family migrated to Australia in 1864 and after his father died Hinchcliffe and his mother settled in Toowoomba, Queensland. He went to Toowoomba State School, but left early and before he was eight years old he was working at Clifton station.Hinchcliffe, Albert (1860–1935) – Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
