Bill Hipkin was born Noel Vincent Harrison. On 21 June 1951, he was taken into care by the Aborigines Welfare Board as a neglected child and placed in Bomaderry Children's Home, a few kilometres from Nowra, New South Wales. His name was changed to Bill Harrison when he arrived at the home; he was told years later that his name had been changed to prevent his mother from finding him.
Hipkin was the first Indigenous child to be legally adopted from New South Wales into Victoria. Once his adoption was finalised, his name was changed again, this time to William John Hipkin.
He was educated at Rosanna School and McLeod Technical College, Victoria. After finishing school, Hipkin completed a building apprenticeship before being called up for national service during the Vietnam War.
After returning from Vietnam, Hipkin eventually moved to the northern suburbs of Brisbane and later in life was reunited with his brother, sister, and mother. Hipkin is the cousin of Aboriginal artist and book illustrator Sally Harrison (q.v.).
