Obituaries Australia

By the death of Mr. John Barr Clark Hoyte, which occurred at his residence, 141 Avenue Road, Mosman, on Friday morning, the art world of Sydney loses one of its oldest identities.

Mr. Hoyte was born in England in 1835, and received his early artistic training there, but some years of his early manhood were spent in the West Indies. Returning to England about 1860, Mr. Hoyte married, and shortly afterwards decided to go out t0 New Zealand, where some time after his arrival he joined the teaching staff of the Auckland Grammar School.

It was about this time that Mr. Hoyte's artistic work began to bring him into prominence. It was not long before he occupied a leading position in New Zealand art circles, and it is as a portrayer of the scenic beauties of the Dominion that he will be long remembered. Right up to the time of his death his work found keen appreciation there. About 1877 Mr. Hoyte left New Zealand, and settled in Sydney.

He was one of the founders and the first president of the Royal Art Society, among those associated with him at the time being Mr. A. J. Daplyn, the present secretary of the society. Of late years Mr. Hoyte had been but little before the Sydney art public. He was one of the old school, and found it difficult to adopt his ideas to the conventions of the newer artistic cult. The deceased has left a widow and two married daughters (one daughter having died some years ago), and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.