BARKER, LADY MARY ANNE, later Lady Broome (1831-1911) was born in Jamaica, where her father, W. G. Stewart, was Island Secretary. In 1852 she married Captain (afterwards Sir) George Barker, who served in the Crimea and the mutiny. She joined him in 1860, when he was commanding the Royal Artillery in Bengal. He died in 1861. In 1865 she married Frederick Napier Broome, who was then sheep farming in Canterbury. They took up Steventon in 1866 and called it Broomielaw. Their life in New Zealand came to an early end. Broome was a keen sportsman and spent much time pig-hunting and writing poetry. He gave up the property in 1868. In 1869 he did his first work for Macmillan's Magazine, and at Alexander Macmillan's suggestion his wife wrote the first of her books describing station life in New Zealand. It was published in 1870. Her books contain some of the most lively and interesting accounts of station life in the early days, as she experienced it, mainly at Broomielaw, Rockwood and Heathstock stations. Station Life in New Zealand was followed by Travelling Over Old and New Ground (1871), A Christmas Cake in Four Quarters (1872), Station Amusements in New Zealand (1873), Letters to Guy (1885) and Colonial Memories (1904). Broome joined the staff of The Times as special correspondent and reviewer, and travelled widely while his wife became superintendent of the national school of cookery and editor of a magazine. In 1875 Broome was appointed colonial secretary in Natal; lieutenant governor of Mauritius (1876), and governor of West Australia (1882-90). (K.C.M.G. 1883). He was governor of Trinidad when he died (1896). Lady Broome died on 6 Mar 1911.

Acland; Buller; Hocken, Bibliog.; Broome, Colonial Memories; The Times (London), 7 Mar 1911.

Reference: Volume 1, page 36

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