Minnie Baber

Surname:

Baber

Given names:

Minnie

Given address:

Grand Hotel Dunedin

Sheet No: 105

Town/Suburb:

Central Dunedin

City/Region:

Dunedin

Notes:

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.

Eliza Webb was born in Tasmania in 1861 – the daughter of Mark Webb and Mary Ann Martin.

She came to New Zealand with her parents as an infant and they settled in Dunedin.

She married Arthur John Colborne Baber in 1880 and they had two sons, one who died in infancy.

Both Eliza and Arthur were enthusiastic and well known vocalists performing in concerts and fund-raising events.

In 1892 Arthur died in San Francisco, at this time Eliza was living in Herbert in North Otago.

She went under many names including Minnie, Lilla, Lizzie Colborne Baber and Madame Bertini. When she signed the suffrage petition she was living or staying in the Grand Hotel, Dunedin. She married fellow musician Harry George Harrison White on 2 May 1894 in Sydney.

They travelled to England in 1896 but returned to Sydney in 1898 as Harry “cannot stand the English climate”.

By 1901 they were back in London and Harry was working as an organist at the Tollington Park Church - he died in London in 1904 almost a year after their son, also Harry, was born.

What happened to Eliza after this is unclear.

When her father died in 1906 her older son stated that “I last heard from her upwards of six years ago when she wrote to me. Since that date neither my grandfather nor myself have heard from or of my said mother and I verily believe she is dead”.