Clarke Charles Netterville Barron (20 August 1834 – 10 July 1911) was the chief reporter of Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) for the New Zealand Parliament for 29 years from 1867. He established the first team of Hansard reporters in New Zealand and set up systems for recording and publishing debates. He was also responsible for the first published compilation of New Zealand Speakers' Rulings and he was secretary to the Board of Civil Service Examiners for many years.
Early life
Barron was born in Waterford, descending from Irish nobility of County Waterford.Burkes Colonial Gentry, 1891–1894, page 708 He was educated in Ireland and Europe and served as an interpreter during the Crimean War.Cyclopedia of New Zealand, Wellington Provincial District, a897, page 109 He is reported to have worked as a purser for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and the Royal Indian Navy,Otago Daily Times, 25 May 1878, page 3 before arriving in Australia.
On 5 September 1861, in Balmain Sydney, Barron married Augusta Jessie, daughter of W.B. Curtiss.The Empire, 10 September 1861, page 1The Sydney Mail. 14 September 1861, page 5The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 September 1861, page 1 He settled in Goulburn, New South Wales, where he worked as an accountant for the Bank of New South Wales. On 27 September 1862, three months after the birth of his first daughter Mabel,The Goulburn Herald, 2 July 1862, page 2 he was arrested and charged with embezzlement from his employer.The Empire, 27 September 1862, page 5The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, 30 September 1862, page 2 He pleaded guilty to stealing 200 pounds and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. In passing sentence the judge noted that Barron had committed "nine or ten different acts of forgery by altering the books".The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 November 1862, page 8
Barron is reported to have arrived in Auckland in 1864, where he found work as a reporter and editor with the New Zealander newspaper. In 1866, he moved to Wellington to become the editor of the New Zealand Advertiser.
Parliamentary career In 1867, Barron was engaged by the New Zealand Parliament to establish a team of reporters and systems for recording and printing parliamentary debates in both Houses of Parliament.Wellington Independent, 11 June 1867, page 3Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1868 Session I, D-13, 1 July 1868 The team was initially established as an experiment and there were many who thought that the trial would be unsuccessful.Parliamentary Debates Volume 1.1, 10 July 1867, pages 16–22Wellington Independent, 15 June 1867, page 7Daily Southern Cross 14 October 1867, page 4 However, the trial proved to be a success and Barron remained Chief Reporter for 29 years, until his retirement in 1896 at 62 years of age. On the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the NZ Hansard team The Evening Post said of Barron:The Evening Post, 9 July 1888, page 2 "The experience of 21 years has fully confirmed the wisdom of Sir Edward Stafford's choice of a chief for the new venture, and whatever faults may now be found with Hansard, they are certainly not due to any laches or want of skill on Mr. Barron's part. He has filled a difficult and arduous office with conspicuous ability, and if Hansard of today is not the reliable record of Parliamentary utterances which it should be, the fault is not his, but that of the powers by whom his action has been controlled and his authority curtailed."
Barron was employed by the New Zealand Parliament throughout the year, rather than only when the Parliament was in session. When he was not occupied with Hansard business he would assist in other roles, such as translation of documents.Evening Post, 1 July 1876, page 2 In 1868, Barron was appointed by the Colonial Secretary as acting Secretary to the Central Civil Service Examination Board,Archives NZ reference R24204364, Letter from Colonial Secretary and, in 1870, it was reported that he was "appointed a member of the Local Board of Examiners at Wellington, under the Civil Service Act, 1866",Evening Post, 13 January 1870, page 2 In 1873, he was formally appointed Secretary to the Civil Service Examination Board,Wellington Independent, 14 February 1873, page 2 an office he held for many years.Otago Witness, 22 June 1893, page 26
In 1889, Barron compiled from the New Zealand Hansard reports the publication Decisions of the Speakers of the House of Representatives on points of order, rules of debate, and general practice of the House, 1867 to 1888. An updated version was published in 1900 as Rulings of the Speakers of the House of Representatives: also of the chairmen of committees, on matters arising in committee; 1867 to 1899 inclusiveOtago Daily Times, 29 June 1900, page 3 and this was updated again, in 1905 and 1911.National Library of New Zealand
When Barron reached his fifties his health meant that he was unable to take as many turns reporting debates, concentrating instead on editing the work of other reporters. This created some friction among his staffThe Otago Daily Times, 22 October 1895, page 2 and, in 1895, Barron was criticized in the House by Premier Richard SeddonParliamentary Debates Volume 89, 21 August 1895, page 284Evening Star, 14 October 1895, page 3 due to complaints about the length of time it was taking for debates to be published. The Reporting Debates and Printing Committee undertook a thorough review of the Hansard staffing.Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1895 Session 1, I-08, 8 October 1895Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1895 Session 1, I-08a, 18 October 1895Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1895 Session 1, I-08b, 23 October 1895 William Steward, speaking on behalf of the Committee reported to the House that Barron was "thoroughly competent to retain charge, and has the confidence and esteem of the reporters... discharging his duties with perfect efficiency, not merely as reporter, but as editor of Hansard for the last three or four years."Parliamentary Debates Volume 91, 8 October 1895, page 163Nelson Evening Mail, 18 October 1895, page 2
Despite retaining the confidence of the Reporting Debates and Printing Committee, Barron was forced by the Seddon government to retire in June 1896.Observer, 6 June 1896, page 18Parliamentary Debates Volume 93, 17 June 1896, page 72Parliamentary Debates Volume 93, 22 July 1896, page 390Wanganui Chronicle, 12 June 1896, page 2Parliamentary Debates Volume 94, 11 August 1896, page 266 Seddon refused Barron the pension normally available to civil servants on the grounds that, as an officer of Parliament, he was not eligible.Parliamentary Debates Volume 93, 21 July 1896, page 339Wanganui Herald, 22 July 1896, page 2 Barron petitioned ParliamentParliamentary Debates Volume 94, 21 August 1896, page 586Star, 29 July 1896, page 4 and, after considerable debate,Hawke's Bay Herald, 22 August 1896, page 3Parliamentary Debates Volume 96, 18 September 1896, page 36Parliamentary Debates Volume 96, 15 October 1896, pages 847–854Evening Post, 22 August 1896, page 5 he was eventually awarded 1,500 pounds (2.5 years' salary) as compensation for loss of office.Mataura Ensign, 17 October 1896, page 2
Other interests During the late 1860s Barren served with the Wellington Rifle Volunteers of the Wellington Militia, where he earned the rank of ensignEvening Post, 25 November 1868, page 2Evening Post, 17 March 1868, page 2Wellington Independent, 10 November 1868, page 2Wairarapa Standard, 3 October 1868, page 3 and was a marksman.Evening Post, 18 October 1869, page 2
In 1886 Barron became a founding member of the Council of New Zealand Shorthand Writers' Association.Evening Post, 5 October 1886, page 2
In 1887 Barron was part of a small group (that included Charles Abraham the Bishop of Wellington, Isaac Featherston the Superintendent of Wellington, Coutts Crawford, Jonas Woodward, Robert Hart, Charles Johnson Pharazyn and his sons Robert and Charles) who drew up the Rules of the New Zealand Society, Reconstituted, November 1867.Wellington Independent, 3 December 1867, page 3 This group became the Wellington Philosophical Society, a branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand.National Library of New ZealandHistory of the New Zealand Society, 1851–1868, L. Bastings, 24 October 1951
Barron and his wife were life members of the Thorndon Tennis Club.Evening Post, 15 May 1897, page 4
Barron's grandsonEvening Post, 20 April 1939, page 18 John Netterville Barron (1911–1992) was an eminent plastic surgeon who performed reconstructive surgery on servicemen during World War II and after the war worked with Harold Gillies at Park Prewett Hospital.Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966Biography Royal College of Surgeons
The Barron family lived in Hobson Street Thorndon for many years, before building a house at 187 Thorndon Quay.Evening Post, 21 October 1929, page 13Evening Post, 1 December 1936, page 1
Death
Barron died at the age of 76 on 10 July 1911. The death occurred at his residence in Thorndon Wellington.EveningPost, 10 July 1911, page 8 He and his wife Augusta (30 December 1840 – 30 December 1920Dominion, 31 December 1920, page 1) were both cremated at the Wellington City Council crematorium.Wellington City Council Cemetery SearchWairarapa Age, 13 July 1911, page 4 Obituaries appeared in numerous papers.Evening Post, 10 July 1911, page 8Dominion, 11 July 1911, page 4Feilding Star, 11 July 1911, page 4Southland Times, 11 July 1911, page 6Grey River Argus, 11 July 1911, page 6Wairarapa Age, 11 July 1911, page 5Marlborough Express, 12 July 1911, page 5Hawera & Normanby Star, 11 July 1911, page 4Mataura Ensign, 11 July 1911, page 4
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