Elizabeth Ison Baker was born in Goldsborough 28th May 1864, the youngest daughter of Euphemia and Captain Henry Evans Baker, later a mining investor and self-taught astronomer in charge of Ballarat Observatory from 1886-1890 where he constructed its 26” Great Equatorial Telescope. Captain Baker seems to have encourage technical expertise in his children, his eldest Euphemia born 1853 (nb the niece Effie Baker of Baháʼí faith) became a teacher and assisted in the Observatory at night. Euphemia took on the management of the Observatory on Captain Baker’s death in 1890. Elizabeth may have assisted Euphemia. By the early 1890s Elizabeth had developed her own skills and became expert at astronomical and lunar photography. By 1894 'Miss E.I.Baker’ was winning prizes in the Ballarat Amateur Photographic Association competitions and had a picture published in the Melbourne Sun 'Amateur Photographers Competition for women’ on 1 November. The _Ballarat Star _of 13 July noted Baker was showing photographs of phases of the moon and the issue of 16 July 1894 reported that she had won the quarter-plate camera prize for the best print from an untouched negative. That year Baker also a gold medal at the 1895 International Photographic Exhibition and first prize at the Sydney Exhibition. Her tableau 'The Novice’ was reproduced in the newspapers.
By 1896 Elizabeth was in charge of the Baker Observatory and undertook complex observations for the acting Government astronomer P.Baracchi, earning her a profile, 'Valuable Scientific Work. Miss Ison Baker’s Successful Researches’ in the Ballarat Star 9 July 1896, p.1. She received an award from the Royal Geographical Society for a photograph of the moon made using her late father’s telescope. By 1898 she was on the committee of the Ballarat Amateur Photographic Association.
In 1902 Elizabeth Baker married jeweller John Hammerton of Geelong – also an amateur photographer, and continued to be active in the local Camera Club until her premature death in 1908. Her death was noted in the Australian Photo-Review. No original prints by this quite remarkable young woman have been located.
- Writers:
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- Date written:
- 2022
- Last updated:
- 2022
