- AR0012
- Family
James Barker (1851-1943) and Amelia Crumbach (1854-1925) married in 1875 and arrived in Victoria in 1887. Amelia (Crumbach) was an experienced midwife and often assisted in the births of neighbours children. They had 7 children including: Amelia (1881-1957), William James and David (twins, b. 1877), James Henry (b. 1885). In 1894, they purchased 20 acres on Wellington Road (now Hastings Street) in Strawberry Vale, naming it Hollyhedge Farm. The farmhouse (current address 1335 Roy Road) was moved to Hollyhedge from the site of the old Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria.
Daughter Amelia Barker lived at the farm house until her death. William James Barker married Christina Scafe in 1899 and had 5 children, settling near the family farm on Holland Avenue. William worked as a blacksmith as well as a farmer and later started a prosperous dairy farm. He also purchased 35 acres on old West Saanich Road in 1911. James Henry Barker went to England and met Edith Anne (nee Mann) whom he married in 1913. They moved to Strawberry Vale. Later, they moved to Saanich and farmed the Mathew farm. In 1919, they bought the Scafe property, and James Henry helped John Scafe make a trail to the Highland Elementary School on Millstream Road. James Henry and Edith had two children, Kathleen and Richard. Richard married Martha in 1941.