Mary Anne Barker (Lady Mary Anne Broome)
According to the 'City of Subiaco Street List Names', Barker Road was named after Mary Anne Barker, the widow of Sir George Barker and later the wife of Lord Fredrick Napier Broome who was appointed governor of Western Australia in 1882 and Trinidad in 1891. She was also known as Lady Mary Anne Barker, and later on as Mary Anne Broome and Lady Broome and was a successful journalist and author in her own right (Wikipedia, 2020).
Mary Anne Stewart was born on 29 January, 1831 in Spanish Town, Jamaica to Walter and Susan Stewart. Walter Stewart was the last Island Secretary of Jamaica. She was educated in England (Wikipedia, 2020).
In 1852 Mary Anne married Captain George Barker of the Royal Artillery who was knighted for his service in 1860 during the Indian mutiny. She became known as Lady Mary Anne Barker. Together Mary Anne and George had two sons, John Stewart (b. 1853) and Walter George (b.1857) (Hasluck, A, 1967). George died soon after in 1861.
In 1865 Mary Anne married Fredrick Napier Broome a sheep farmer, colonial secretary and poet and travelled with him to his various postings. In 1884 he was knighted. Together they had Frederick (b. 1866) who died soon after and Guy (b. 1870) and Lois (b. 1874) (Hasluck, A, 1969).
While Mary Anne was known as the wife to successful English men and mother of their children she was a successful journalist and author in her own right. She wrote articles and published many books about her travels and daily life in Mauritius, Natal, Western Australia, Barbados, Trinidad, New Zealand and England where she lived with her husband and children. She died on March 6, 1911 in London (Hasluck, A, 1969).
There does not seem to be anything about her to connect her to the suburb of Subiaco other than being the wife of Lord Fredrick Napier Broome the governor at the time Subiaco was declared a subdivision of Perth.
There are many biographies online from reliable sources about the life of Lady Mary Anne Barker and Broome as she was known as.
Wikipedia, 2020. 'Mary Anne Barker' contains a biography and an extensive list of resources including online, journal articles and books.
Hasluck, A. 1969. 'Broome Lady Mary Anne (1831 - 1911).' Australian Dictionary of Biography at www.adb.anu.edu.au
"...Her husband was appointed lieutenant-governor at Mauritius. She joined him there, at a time when Mauritius was urgently asked to send reinforcements for the British in the Zulu War in South Africa. Her husband dealt with the military arrangements and she organised a volunteer corps of doctors and nurses and dispatched them at a day's notice; then raised funds to subsidise them. She received special acknowledgement in the secretary of state's dispatch for her work. To her it was of particular interest because Major W. G. Wyndham, her youngest son by her first marriage was taking part in the campaign...
"In 1882 her husband was appointed governor of Western Australia... She took a large part in the restricted social life of Perth. Always fond of young people, she gathered many girls about her into a reading circle to remedy some of the deficiencies of the education caused by the isolation in the Western capital. To be in the company of a much-travelled an literary person such as Mary Anne Broome itself an education. Her influence was long remembered both by 'her girls', as she called them, and by the Volunteer Rifle Force, 'Lady Broome's Own'.
Art and Design Australia Online, 2020, 'Mary Anne Broome (Lady) (1831 - 1911)' National Library of Australia, Trove at www.trove.nla.gov.au
"...she arrived in Western Australia in 1883 as the wife of the Governor Fredrick Napier Broome, her second husband...She put some of the ladies' noses 'out of joint' with her Aesthetic Movement revision of the interior of Government House. Lady Barker an established authoress on interior design, took an interest in the education of the daughters of her circle. Sewing class were undertaken at Government House while she read modern history aloud. The class were designed to assist intellectual pursuits rather than cultivate manual dexterity. It is not surprising that the girls were some of earliest to win universal suffrage..."
Hankin, C. 1990. 'Dictionary of New Zealand Biography,' Mary Anne Barker at www.terra.govt.nz
"...In December 1882 Fredrick was appointed governor of Western Australia. Early in 1883 Mary Anne sailed from Mauritius to Australia with her husband, her son Lois and a favourite pet dog. Guy was left at school in England.
Although Fredrick Broome's irascible temperament made him some enemies as governor , the couple spent eight happy and vigorous years in Western Australia. As well as undertaking a full round of governor's wife duties Mary Anne Barker wrote Letter to Guy (1885), a lively description of her first year in Australia and edited the travel books of her friend Lady Brassey. After Fredrick was knighted she changed her name to Broome.
"...The Broomes departed from Australia in 1889. In 1891 Fredrick became the governor of Trinidad. Again Mary Anne accompanied him to this posting. His early death in 1896 left his wife desolate and without adequate financial provision. Forced to petition the government of Western Australia for a pension, she was granted one in 1897 with an annuity of 150 pounds. This enabled her to spend the rest of her years in Eaton Terrace, London. Here she wrote occasional magazine articles and one last book, Colonial Memories (1904). She died in London on 6 March 1911."
When Lady Mary Anne Barker died there were many obituaries published in newspapers from around Australia and the world. These are available on Trove, the database of National Library of Australia www.trove.nla.gov.au
