Eileen Nesta "Eine" BARKER [672]

   Cause of her death was heart failure.

  General Notes:

Reminiscences on her mother by Judith McKenzie.
Eileen Nesta, mother. Born with a physical disability, left arm developed only to the elbow, her buoyant disposition and elegance meant that I was totally unaware that she was in any way incapacitated until adulthood. Intelligent and humorous the Barker grandparents had brought her up with the understanding that she could do anything she wanted. She played hockey, went sailing, sang in the chorus of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas in the Wellington Opera House and eventually went as governess to the two youngest Bull children in Hunterville in the Rangitikei. After they went to boarding school, she boarded in the township and became a "pupil teacher" opening a small private school (c1916) for about twelve pupils (including her sister Marjory at some stage). All my memories of her are positive, loving, caring, and generous, with a continuation of her parents' philosophy - of course you can do it if you really try, and want to.
2005

  Other Records

1. Eileen Nesta Barker: Images from her life.
Eine as a young woman, then 1912 & 1914, on her wedding day, in Timaru c1950 with her sister Bet.

2. Eine Barker: Letter to Joan Molesworth, 6 May 1964, Raumati Beach NZ.
Raumati Beach
NZ
Wed, May 6 64
Dear Joan,
I have just had your letter, forwarded by mother, forward which I thank you both. What good news of the Cape, it sounds very nice and what good value at £11 6s 0d. Thank you dear for your trouble, and Diane to for her moral support, as I think shopping for others is a trial, especially for someone whose taste you do not know. But I have faith in you, as I thought you all looked (in your family group) to have good taste in clothes. Am enclosing 8 PN's (Postal Notes) for 5/- each this will be for fares in my shopping expeditions and I would very much like you to buy something for your trousseau out of any further money there is, will make a list of things and you can work out the cash cutting it to suit the cloth so to speak and once again I say for get it all if pushed for time. The lambswool twin sets sound very appealing I wonder are the lambswool cardigans only. I have never worn a twinset as usually the jumper has short sleeves. Had a bright letter from Margot from Christchurch, she doesn't love a jaunt there to see Kay. Christchurch is a very nice town am sure you will like it.
Quite wintry here today. Am writing over the fire. Hope spring has come properly with you, soon you will have Ed back again and I hope quite fit and well again, if the Cape is at all wearable for you please use, may be nice on the boat.
Will write a list now to simplify things for you and as I don't know what the cardigans will cost you must cut out anything if it oversteps the bank balance. Would like to send more, but have to shop around for the PN's. They will only sell one at a time and our local post office being only a sub branch does not carry them.
Much love and I hope for you are well and full of the joys of spring.
I have always longed to see England in the spring.
Aunt Eine X

Eine married Allan Russell BULL [1692] [MRIN: 558], son of James BULL J P [2227] and Esther McKELVIE [2393], on 22 Mar 1922 in Old St Pauls Wellington. (Allan Russell BULL [1692] was born on 21 Mar 1898 in Makaraka Hunterville N.Z. and died on 21 Jan 1987 in Palmerston North NZ.)