Dr Barker Photographs Christchurch

Alfred Charles Barker

Born: 5 January 1819, in Hackney, London, England

Died: 20 March 1873, in Christchurch

Alfred Barker graduated as a surgeon in 1845 and shortly after married Emma Bacon
After practising as a doctor for some years he decided to emigrate to Canterbury with his family
As surgeon on the Charlotte Jane Dr Barker received free passage and a salary in return for looking after the 150 settlers. The Barkers landed at Lyttelton on 16 December 1850.
As the only doctor in Canterbury Dr Barker had a large and busy practice at first, but by the time other doctors arrived and started working, he was beginning to lose interest in medicine.
Dr Alfred Charles Barker pictured with his trap

He kept the position of registrar (or recorder) of births, deaths and marriages in Christchurch, but retired from medicine after his wife Emma died in 1858.
Dr Barker had a wide range of interests, including aeronautics and architecture, but is best known for his photography.
His earliest known photographs date from 1858, but he probably started taking photographs before then.
He built a darkroom at his house by Cathedral Square and spent his time taking photographs of his family and friends, and recording the growth and development of the new settlement of Christchurch.
Dr Barker died on 20 March 1873 in Christchurch from meningitis.
Because of the large number and range of subjects of Dr Barker's photographs people living today have a valuable historic record of what life in early Christchurch really looked like.