Barbara Baynton
Barbara Baynton was an Australian author born in New South Wales on June 4, 1857, though she altered her birthdate and obscured her family background throughout her life. Initially raised in humble circumstances, she found employment as a governess for the prominent Frater family, eventually marrying their son, Alexander Frater. The marriage lasted seven years and produced three children before Alexander abandoned her. Following her divorce in 1890, Baynton married wealthy widower Dr. Thomas Baynton, who was significantly older than her. She gained recognition as a writer with the publication of "Bush Studies" in 1902, a collection of stories highlighting women's struggles in the Australian bush. After Dr. Baynton's death in 1904, she inherited a fortune, which she invested wisely while continuing to travel and write. In 1907, she published her only novel, "Human Toll." Baynton later married the Fifth Baron Headley, enjoying the title of Lady Barbara Baynton, but their union ended when he declined a potential Albanian throne. She spent her later years alone in Toorak, Melbourne.
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Subject Terms
Barbara Baynton
Author
- Born: June 4, 1857
- Birthplace: New South Wales, Australia
- Died: May 28, 1929
Biography
Barbara Baynton was born in New South Wales, Australia, on June 4, 1857. Her history is uncertain because she altered her birthdate and disguised the identity of her parents: Baynton fabricated a birth story claiming that she was born in 1862 to Penelope Ewart and Captain Robert Kilpatrick. In actuality, her real father was John Lawrence, an Irish immigrant and carpenter by trade. However, by hiding her actual humble origins, Baynton was able to obtain employment as a governess to the socially prominent Frater family.
In 1880, She married her employer’s son, Alexander Frater. They were married for seven years and had three children before Frater abandoned Baynton for their maid. Her husband’s desertion did not stymie Baynton’s determination for success and social recognition. In 1890, the day after she obtained an official divorce from Frater, she married the wealthy widower, Dr. Thomas Baynton. Dr. Baynton was thirty-seven years her senior. While married to Dr. Baynton, she published a short work titled Bush Studies (1902), which is noted for its tales of women struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life in the Australian bush.
In 1904, only two years after the publication of her first work, Baynton’s husband died and left her a large inheritance. Baynton invested her deceased husband’s fortune in the Australian Stock Exchange, antiques, and precious gems. With her newly acquired means, Baynton spent a great deal of time traveling and writing. In 1907, she published her only novel, Human Toll. In 1921, during one of her excursions abroad, she met the man who would be her third husband, the Fifth Baron Headley, who was next in line for the Albanian throne. Baynton enjoyed her acquired title, Lady Barbara Baynton. In 1913 Baron Headley refused the Albanian throne due to political unrest in the country. Baynton was outraged with her husband’s decision and the loss of the throne, and she left Baron Headley and returned to Australia. She lived out the remainder of her life alone in Melbourne’s Toorak.