Percy Sinnett was the son of Frederick Sinnett, newspaper editor, English teacher and author, and his wife Jane, who migrated to Adelaide in 1849. Frederick lived in Melbourne for a while, during which time he helped to found the Melbourne Punch (1855), but returned to South Australia the year Percy, his second son, was born. By 1865 the family was living in Melbourne again.
Percy, who had contributed to several South Australian newspapers and had shown early signs of literary talent, died at the age of 23.
