Emily Mary Barton

'''Emily Mary Barton (christened December 3, 1817 - August 24, 1909) was an Australian poet and painter.

Life
She was born in York, England, the daughter of Maj. Edward Duvall and Emily (nee Johnson). She spent much of her childhood in France and Belgium, and received a classical education. In 1839 she accompanied her parents, two brothers, and two sisters to New South Wales, Australia, where she met Robert Barton, a retired naval officer. She married Barton in September 1840, her sister Eliza marrying Herman Henry Kater at the same time in a dual ceremony.

Emily and Robert Barton lived for the next 30 years on his rural property, Boree Norang, near Molong, New South Wales. After Robert Barton died in 1863, Emily sold Boree Norang and moved with her children to "Rockend" in Gladesville, Sydney, where she lived for the rest of her life.

Emily Barton began writing poetry in the 1840s, Beginning in 1853 she began publishing poems in the Sydney Illustrated News, including several prize-winning poems in the 1880s. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1885. She published a second collection, Straws in the Stream, in 1909 at the age of 90. A third collection, also called Straws in the Stream, appeared posthumously.

Publications

 * A Few of Granmamma's Prizes for the Little Ones. Sydney: Gibbs, Shallard and Co., 1885.
 * Straws on the Stream. Sydney: privately, printed, 1907.
 * Straws on the Stream. Sydney: W.E. Smith, 1910.

 Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy the [[Australian Poetry Library.