The Barker Boys: 2009

The Five Barker Boys.
World War 1.
The Great War.
The war to end all wars.
1914-1918
Countries of the British Empire and the United States of America
Against Germany

The Last Train Home by Laketrees.
Now lives at the Historic Neath Hotel, Neath, NSW

The Barker Family ~ Pre War

James Barker birth certificate

This is a typical house in Wallsend in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Some of the children may of been born in the house.

This is Wallsend Hospital.The original hospital was opened in 1893 on 3 acres of land. The building has been added to over the years. This is also where some of the children were born.

Photo on marble 1897 at Wallsend, NSW.
Mother Ann Barker (Annie) nee Morgan, seated on her lap Job Barker. Standing in centre, James Barker Jnr. Seated in centre, Thomas Garside Barker. Seated to left, Lambert Manfred Barker.

This is a photo from the school in Wallsend some of the boys could be in this photo.

The next 6 photos are of the coalmines in Wallsend in which they worked.

This is the policeman guarding the pit entry during a lockout.

This is a miners picnic.

A postcard made from photos of the mines in Wallsend.

Cooks on site in Wallsend.

This is the house of one of the owners of the coalmines.

Farmers of the area.

The next 9 photos are of the Wallsend area.

Photo taken approx. 1911. Job Barker on far right with 4 friends who are unknown.

Photo taken in "the Selections", Abermain, NSW approx. 1913.
Standing left to right. John Albert Barker, James Barker Jnr, Lambert Manfred Barker Thomas Garside Barker, Job Barker.

Seated from left to right. James Barker Snr, Ann Barker, William Barker (Billie), Hannah Morgan nee Cattell, Jane Morgan.

* Abermain

Green arrow shows where Sawyers Gully Also know as the "Selection" Abermain

These are the hotels that the Barker Boys drank at:

Photo of the Abermain Hotel also known as "Bluey's" after the publican Bluey Andrews, later known as "Griffo's" after Ron and Lorna Griffiths who run the hotel for a long time.

The building of the Denman Hotel, Abermain, approx. 1912.

The Neath Hotel, Neath, NSW.

Miners meeting at the Buffalo Hall opposite the Abermain Hotel approx. 1910.

James Barker

* James Barker

Born on the 21st January, 1863 at Byers Green in Durham, England.

Birth certificate

This is a list of the Barker Family that is known:

Father: Thomas born in Yorkshire

Mother: Mary born in Lancashire

All brothers and sisters were born in Durham.

These are approximate dates of births.

1. John born 1859

2. Mary Ann born 1861

3. James as above

4. William born 1866

5. Thomas born 1869

6. Henriette M. born 1870

7. Jane born 1873

8. Charles born 1875

9. Robert born 1878

10. Garside born 1879

11. Sarah L. born 1882

High St, Byers Green, Durham

Parish Church, Byers Green, Durham.

This is the mine where we believe that James' father (Thomas Barker) could of been working in 1863.

Arrived in Australia 31st August 1885, on the ship "Trafalgar", leaving from the port of London and arriving in Sydney.

Resided in Wallsend, NSW

Married 19th April 1889 to Anne Morgan, (Born 15th September 1869, Wallsend, NSW. Died 21st February,1944 at Kurri Kurri. Parents Job Morgan,b. 23rd January 1829, Argoed, Monmouth Shire, Wales and Hannah Cattell,b. 14th March 1839, Bristol, Somerset Shire, England)

Occupation Coal Miner in Wallsend and Abermain.

They had 9 children.

1. Eldest James Barker Jnr. Born 1890 at Wallsend. Died at Grafton in 1918 due to pneumonia age 28.( He was refused entry to the army due to poor health?).

2. Lambert Manfred Barker. Born 1891 at Wallsend. Enlisted in AIF on 18th April, 1914

3. Thomas Garside Barker. Born July, 1894 at Wallsend. Enlisted in AIF on 14th October, 1914.

4. Job Barker. Born 17th May, 1896 at Wallsend. Enlisted in AIF on 21st December, 1915.

5. John Albert Barker. Born 1900 at Wallsend. Enlisted in AIF on 27th July, 1916.

6. William Arthur Barker. Born 1902 at Wallsend. Too young to enlist.

7. Ernest A. Barker. Born 1904 at Wallsend. Died 1905 at Wallsend.

8. Edward Barker. Born 1908 at Wallsend. Died 10th November, 1909 at Kurri Kurri. Buried at Kurri Kurri Cemetery.

9. Mary Barker. Born 13th November, 1911 at Abermain. Died 24th December,1912 at Kurri Kurri. Buried at Kurri Kurri Cemetery( With Edward and Annie).

*Wallaby March*

* Letter From Prime Minister William M.(Billy) Hughs, for recruitment, December 1915.

The Wallaby march commenced in Narrabri on the 8th December, 1915. The march ended in Newcastle on the 8th January 1916. There were 265 men from the north west of NSW, the Liverpool Plains and the townships of the Hunter Valley who enlisted at the end of the march.

These men were to form the 34th Battalion