 Barton's representative career began in November 1879 when, in a one-day match, he scored 67 for Wanganui against Wellington, in a match in which 40 wickets fell for 271 runs.A few weeks later, in his first first-class match, he scored 75 not out ("a grand innings without a ghost of a chance") out of West Coast's first innings of 120 in a victory over Wellington.No other batsman in the match exceeded 26.