George Barker was born in Wellington and worked as an upholsterer before becoming a pofessional painter at the turn of the century. He is listed as exhibiting work at the Fine Art Association in 1883 and 1884, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts 1894-1904 and 1907, Otago Art Society 1893-1898, the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition 1885, and the St Louis Exposition, U.S.A in 1904. He spent the last thirty years of his life in Titahi Bay, Wellington of which several views can be seen here.