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Note: . Because of ill health, she did not start formal schooling until she was 10 years old. She lived at 6 Belvedere Rd, Durdham Downs, Bristol, when young. She joined the Girl Guide Movement in 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War and kept in touch with her Captain until the 1980's. She was a gifted artist and particularly loved to paint wildflowers in watercolours. She attended art school in Bristol and also qualified as a kindergarten teacher. In 1929 she offered herself to the Overseas Teaching Group and prepared to go to Newfoundland. At the last minute the teacher in Newfoundland whom she was to replace decided to stay on so she was asked to go to India instead. She sailed to Bombay and taught at a school nearby for a year. When the decision was made to replace her with an Indian teacher, she returned to England and applied to Society of the Propagation of the Gospel for a position at the Bishop Westcott School in Nam Kum. She had met the Principal, Cecil Berners Hall, on the day she had arrived in India the previous year and had fallen in love. She taught at the school until her marriage and then gave birth to John and Julian. In 1935 they went on home leave to England. When they moved to Lovedale in South India, Barbara enjoyed the life of the hill station of Ootacamund where her three youngest children were born, Thomas, Anthony and Joan. The sudden death of Berners in 1943 left her stranded with five children under 9 years old, Joan being only two months old. As she was unable to return to England due to World War II, the school allowed her to stay on in the house for a while. The Rev John Matthews, an old friend recently widowed, came to the rescue and Barbara married him at the end of 1944. In Nov 1945 John Matthews and John Cuthbert set sail on the SS Socotra for Australia calling at Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. They flew to Auckland in a Catalina flying boat and in 1946 flew to England in a Sunderland flying boat. Meanwhile, Barbara and the rest of the family returned to England. The family reunited at the Vicarage of St Bartholomew's Church, Ipswich, Suffolk where John Matthews was vicar until the end of 1950. In 1951 John and John Cuthbert sailed on the SS Strathnaver for Australia. Barbara and the four younger children waited to travel on a migrant ship in March 1952. During that waiting time Barbara handstitched gloves to earn some money. Soon after her arrival in Australia she taught at St Hilda's School, Southport until 1954 when she moved to Rockhampton where John had been appointed to the Cathedral. In early 1960, John offered himself as a missionary to the Australian Board of Missions and became the Priest Director of the Torres Strait Mission in North Queensland, becoming Bishop of Carpentaria at the end of that year. Barbara soon became involved in the community life of Thursday Island, being diocesan president of the Mothers Union and joining the Country Women's Association. When a lawn bowls club was formed she became a foundation member and enjoyed this sport until the age of 87. She retired with John to Point Vernon, Hervey Bay, Qld. in 1968 and then they moved to Broadbeach, Qld. in the early 70's. John died in 1978 and Barbara stayed on until 1990 when she moved to Brisbane to live near son Thomas. During her last years in Broadbeach she became a professed member of the society of St Francis and enjoyed the companionship of her fellow Franciscans. She also made her Cursillo, which gave her great joy. Her Christian faith sustained her all through her life. Well into her eighties she helped at the drop-in centre for homeless people in Surfers Paradise. After she could no longer live on her own, she lived with daughter Joan and Kevin for eighteen months before her death in 1995.
Miss Babs Browning, art mistress sailed from London to Bombay on the "Ranpura" on 17 May 1929.
Barbara Browning 44 (sic), art teacher arrived at London from Bombay on the 4 Nov 1931 on the "Viceroy of India".
Barbara Browning 30, missionary, sailed from London to Bombay on the "Strathnaver" on 16 Jan 1932.
Barbara Matthews, Julian M Hall 11, Thomas B Hall 6, Anthony F Hall 5 and Joan B Hall 3 arrived at Liverpool on the "Queen of Bermuda" from Bombay on 20 Dec 1945
Barbara Matthews 50, housewife, from Thatched Cottage, Easthorpe, Kelvedon, Essex, Julian Matthews 17, Thomas B Matthews 12, Anthony Matthews 11, and Joan B Matthews 9 sailed from Glasgow on the "Cameronia" on 20 Feb 1952 bound for Sydney, Australia.
The 1954 Electoral Roll registers c/o The Southport School, Queensland, Barbara Matthews, teacher.
(Barbara was living in a small shack at Winchester St, Southport.)
Note: Barbara was a sickly child,probably baptised in Hospital soon after birth
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