BAKER, HENRY HERBERT (1867-1940), optician, was born on 6 October 1867 at Yeovil, Somerset, England, son of William Baker, bank clerk, and his wife Mary Ann, née Watson. He became a clerk in his grandfather's firm, W. Watson & Sons. Partly because of incipient phthisis, he came to Melbourne to represent his firm at the Centennial International Exhibition in 1888. Arriving in May, he found prospects so promising that he arranged to open a branch of the business and for his brother Frank to join him. They carried a range of cameras, microscopes, telescopes and surveying instruments, mainly of Watson manufacture. On 16 April 1891 at Carlton he married Clara Ingham with Congregational rites.

Baker had wide interests. He took the English course in optics and sight-testing and about 1900 obtained the diploma of the Spectacle Makers' Company. He lectured widely on optical matters, astronomy and X-rays, discovered in 1895 ...

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Australian Dictionary of Biography