TypeAgencyParallel NameBarbara Anne HamptonDate Range6 February 1935 - 3 October 2019DescriptionBarbara Hampton (nee Neill) was a lifelong resident of Wellington, she grew up in Wilton Road, Wadestown attending Wadestown School and Wellington Girls College.
Her father was a keen amateur photographer and was an early member of the Wellington Botanical Society and NZ Native Bird Protection Society. From 1926, her father managed the photoengraving department at Wellington’s Evening Post.
Barbara was a member of the Onslow Historical Society for many years. She undertook research for the 125th anniversary of Wadestown School and she also worked on projects related to the history of Wadestown and Wilton (Ōtari-Wilton's Bush included).
From 2012 to 2019 Barbara researched and wrote an unpublished history entitled ‘Otari-Wilton’s Bush – Native Botanic Garden and Forest Reserve – the land, bush and people from 1840’. Her manuscript was cited in ‘Otari – Two Hundred Years of Otari-Wilton’s Bush’ (Bee Dawson, 2022), a book which includes family photographs of Otari from her childhood. She contributed to an oral history project about the reserve in 2006/2007 (records held by the National Library) and in 2016 also gave presentations on her research to the Wellington Botanical Society.
On her death her family donated her Wilton Bush history to the Wellington City Council Archives and her remaining Wadestown history to the Onslow Historical Society. In 2023 the latter Onslow Historical Society collection was also transferred to Wellington City Council Archives.
