Born Marion (or Marian) Rennick, a lifelong painter, studied painting at the National Gallery school under George Frederick Folingsby, Sir John Longstaff and Frederick McCubbin.
On 7 June 1881 she married University of Melbourne mathematics professor Frederic Joy Pirani. They were living in the George Hotel, St Kilda when on 30 July 1881 he fell from his horse and died soon after
On 31 October 1888 at South Yarra she married ophthalmologist and publicist James Barrett, and became Lady Barrett when he was knighted in 1918. He was University of Melbourne vice-chancellor (1931), deputy chancellor (1934) and chancellor (1935-39. They lived with daughters Cara, Bertha and Jeannette at Palmyra in Lansell Road, Toorak where Marion delighted in gardening and entertaining.
She worked in the kindergarten movement and other charities and served on the council of the Emily Mcpherson College of Domestic Economy. E. Phillips Fox painted her portrait, the 1912 oil sketch for which is in the National Gallery of Australia collection.
She died in May 1939 and was interred at the Brighton Cemetery in a private ceremony.
- Writers:
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- Date written:
- 2023
- Last updated:
- 2023
