Henry Walter Barnett

Henry Walter Barnett (25 January 1862 – 16 January 1934), usually known as H. Walter Barnett, was an Australian photographer and filmmaker. Barnett was a prominent portrait photographer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, establishing the successful Falk studios in Sydney. Later in his career he was based in London, England, with studios at Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. Barnett became involved in filmmaking after meeting cinematographer Marius Sestier in 1896, and with Sestier made some of the first films shot in Australia.

Life and career Barnett was born on 25 January 1862 in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia, one of seven children of English-born Jewish parents Lewis#tag:ref|Oxford Dictionary of National Biography quotes his father's name as Louis. In 1884 he sold his share of the Hobart studio, after which he travelled and worked variously in London and the United States. During his time in London he was employed by the society photographers W. & D. Downey, where he assisted in photographing the future King Edward VII. Barnett married Hilda "Ella" Frances Clement Forbes in 1889. was a founder member of the Professional Photographers Association (later the British Institute of Professional Photography) in 1901,

Barnett sold his London studios in 1920 and moved to Dieppe, France, where he maintained a keen interest in contemporary French art. He died in Nice on 16 January 1934, aged 71.

They made approximately 19 films together in Sydney and Melbourne, It was covered in the Australian press, including The Age and The Bulletin, and has been cited as Australia's first film production.

In 1897 Barnett's company produced four films of the English cricket team in Australia in 1897–98.

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