Pamela Barham
New Zealand netball player and coach
About Pamela Barham
Lived 1933 – 2001 (aged 68). Pamela Barham was a New Zealand university teacher, physical education teacher and coach.
Pamela Joy Barham (formerly Edmonds, née Smith; 11 November 1933 – 13 December 2001) was a New Zealand netball player and coach. She played 12 Tests for the New Zealand netball team, and captained the side at the 1963 World Netball Championships, where they were runners-up. She later moved to Australia, and coached the Australian netball team in 1985 and 1986.
Early life Barham was born Pamela Joy Smith in Dunedin on 11 November 1933, the daughter of Percy Albert Smith and Violet Sarah Elizabeth Smith (née Bland). After moving to Christchurch when she was 16 years old, she became a physical education teacher, taught at Christchurch West High School, and married James David Edmonds. She was subsequently selected for the New Zealand team that toured Australia that year. She played in 14 of the 16 games on tour, including in all three Test matches, and it was reported that her play at centre "was sound in all her games, and the speed with which she threw the ball into the forwards earned some very favourable comments". In the first Test match in Adelaide, New Zealand achieved their first ever victory over , winning 49–40. However, the second and third Tests of the series were won by Australia, 44–39 and 46–45, respectively.
Three years later, Edmonds captained the New Zealand team at the inaugural World Netball Championships at Eastbourne, England. Pamela Barham taught movement and dance at the University of Queensland, and continued her involvement in netball as a coach.
After her short tenure coaching Australia, Barham and English netballer Christine Maylor established Netball Coaching International, a consultancy that saw them travelling internationally to coach netball players and advise netball coaches.
Barham died in Brisbane on 13 December 2001.
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Important facts
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Pamela Smith, Pam SmithPeople in Pamela Barham's life
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Pamela Barham?
New Zealand netball player and coach
When was Pamela Barham born?
Pamela Barham was born on 11 November 1933 in Dunedin.
When did Pamela Barham die?
Pamela Barham died on 13 December 2001 in Brisbane.
What was Pamela Barham's occupation?
Pamela Barham was a university teacher, physical education teacher and coach.
What nationality was Pamela Barham?
Pamela Barham was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pamela Barham. https://biography.guide/pamela-barham/
MLA: "Pamela Barham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pamela-barham/.
Chicago: "Pamela Barham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pamela-barham/.
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