Barbara Baynton

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Barbara Baynton, about 1892

Barbara Janet Ainsleigh Baynton (1857-1929) was an Australian writer, made famous for Bush Studies which was written in retaliation to Henry Lawson's works.

Baynton was the daughter of John Lawrence and Elizabeth Ewart, was born at Scone, Hunter River district, New South Wales, in 1857, although claiming to be born in 1862 also that her parents names were Penelope Ewart and Captain Robert Kilpatrick. In 1880 she married Hay Frater and in 1890 Dr Thomas Baynton. A few years later she began contributing short stories to the Bulletin and six of these were published in 1902 under the title of Bush Studies. In 1907 appeared Human Toll, a novel, and in 1917 Cobbers, a reprint of Bush Studies, with two additional stories. During the 1914-18 war Mrs Baynton was living in England and in 1921 she married her third husband Baron Headley. She died at Melbourne on 28 May 1929. She was survived by Lord Headley, and two sons and a daughter by the first marriage.