Barbara (Anne) Martin (BNg(PostReg) ’97) (also known as Barbara Anne Munday), grew up in Adelaide, South Australia and worked as a registered nurse, gerontic practitioner and nursing lecturer. Upon retirement, Anne set about writing novels which has led to her now successfully publishing her fifth book, Pioneer Lost! Was he forgotten? through BAM Publishing and printed by Openbook Howden, which was launched on 19 October 2024 at the Burnside Library. It is available to read in both Burnside and Campbelltown Library history rooms. 

The book covers intriguing parts of SA history, commencing with the Rapid arriving at Kangaroo Island, 1836 with two of Anne’s ancestors onboard with Colonel Light. George Mildred was a crew member and surveyor and Hiram Mildred, age 13, was Colonel Light’s cabin boy and junior surveyor with the first survey team.

The book has Kangaroo Island history and early colonists history, a research section, a historical fiction, Appendices and References. It explores the connections between the Mildred and East families significant contributions to the British province of South Australia from 1836. Early colonist/pioneer George Mildred died on Kangaroo Island in 1874 and is interred under an intersection at American River. His older brother was the Honourable Henry Richard Mildred who attended the first SA Parliament in 1857 and represented East Torrens and Noarlunga in the 1860s-1870s.

Since releasing her book, Anne has been invited to give talks in various history clubs and for History Week in May 2025. Her talks focus on Colonel Light’s cabin boy, Hiram Mildred (Rapid 1836) and his surveying days under the direction of Boyle Travers Finniss and his work later in Port Augusta. You can hear this talk ‘Colonel Light’s cabin boy: Hiram Telemachus Mildred’ from Anne at History Week on May 15 from 2pm-3pm at Campbelltown Library. Learn more here.