Constance Alice Barnicoat (27 November 1872 – 16 September 1922) was a New Zealand secretary, interpreter, mountaineer and journalist.
Constance Barnicoat | |
|---|---|
 Climbing the Schreckhorn in 1911 | |
| Born | Constance Alice Barnicoat 27 November 1872 Richmond, New Zealand |
| Died | 16 September 1922 (aged 49) |
| Alma mater | Canterbury College, Christchurch |
| Occupation(s) | Secretary, interpreter, mountaineer, journalist |
| Spouse |
Israel Julian Grande
(m. 1911) |
Early life
editBarnicoat was born in Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand on 27 November 1872, the youngest of seven children.[1] Her parents were farmers; her father was John Barnicoat, a member of the Nelson Provincial Council and of the Legislative Council, and her mother was Rebecca Lee Hodgson.[2] Barnicoat was educated at home until 1888, when she began studying at Nelson College for Girls. She attended the school for two years, before moving to Christchurch to study at Canterbury College, Christchurch. She completed a bachelor arts degree, graduating in 1895.[1]
Starting in 1895, she was a secretary in Wellington for almost three years for Dillon Bell, a member of the House of Representatives. In 1896 she was the country's first female shorthand reporter.[3]
Mountain climbing achievements
editIn the early 1900s Barnicoat became one of the world's most prominent women mountain climbers,[4] ascending peaks such as the Ailefroide,[5] Mount Grindelwald,[6] and the Schreckhorn.[7][8] In 1905, she ascended the Ailefroide in the Dauphine Alps, France. In 1911 she ascended Switzerland's Grosser Schreckhorn.[3] A peak in the Southern Alps was named in her honor by Julian Grande in 1923.[9]
Personal life
editShe married journalist and lecturer Israel Julian Grande in London on 29 March 1911. In 1913 they settled in Bern, Switzerland and later moved to Geneva where she died on 16 September 1922.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b McCallum, Janet. "Constance Alice Barnicoat". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Scholefield, Guy, ed. (1940). A Dictionary of New Zealand Biography : A–L (PDF). Vol. I. Wellington: Department of Internal Affairs. p. 41. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ a b c Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Barnicoat, Constance Alice". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Women Will Form Mountaineer Club". Los Angeles Herald. London. 1 September 1907. p. 19. Retrieved 8 April 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Climbs Dangerous Peak". Calgary Herald. Zurich. 10 August 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 8 April 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Personals". The Morning News. 7 March 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 8 April 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Striking Events in Other Lands as Caught by the Camera". Brooklyn Eagle. 20 March 1911. p. 21. Retrieved 8 April 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Constance Barnicoat in Alpine Climb". The Journal Times. 4 April 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 8 April 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Constance Barnicoat". www.theprow.org.nz. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
Further reading
edit- Schuler, Annabel (2023). Constance Barnicoat: a cool head and a sharp pen. The Copy Press. ISBN 9780473685676. OCLC 1406839447.