Barry is a small
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
in the
Central West region of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia, in
Blayney Shire
Blayney Shire is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Mid-Western Highway and the Main Western railway line, and is centred on the town of Blayney.
Blayney Shir ...
. It is situated within an hour's driving time of the townships and villages of
Blayney,
Millthorpe,
Mandurama,
Neville,
Lyndhurst and
Carcoar
Carcoar is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Blayney Shire. In 2016, the town had a population of 200 people. It is situated just off the Mid-Western Highway 258 km west of Sydney and 52 km south-wes ...
.
In the , a population of 166 people was recorded.
History
One of the original occupants was prospector
Edward Hargraves
Edward Hammond Hargraves (7 October 1816 – 29 October 1891) was a gold prospector who claimed to have found gold in Australia in 1851, starting an Australian gold rush.
Early life
Edward Hammond Hargraves was born on 7 October 1816 in Gosp ...
, who originally named the village Five Islands. He probably chose this name from a parcel of about of land that he previously owned in the Five Islands area of
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wa ...
, New South Wales.
The village developed during the second half of the 19th century with the building of a school in 1862, stores, a church, a blacksmith's establishment and town hall, the establishment of a general goods carrier and the influx of agricultural workers.
In 1890 the village changed its name to Barry – probably in honour of a Caleb Barry, who was the former bank manager of nearby
Blayney and a vigorous member of the Church of England in that town. Indeed, the streets of Barry are named after clergy (including bishops) of the time, such as Barber, Moorhouse, Hale, Marsden, Pearson, Sawyer, Turner, Selwyn and Staunton.
Barry today
Today all the public buildings except for St James Anglican Church, the school and the community hall are closed. Other public buildings, such as the Post Office, the stores, the school residence and the former Roman Catholic Church of St Therese, are private residences.
Barry's streets, other than the intersection of Selwyn and Sawyer Streets, remain unsealed. Water resources have, however, improved, with water now flowing from a hilltop tank that is constantly supplied by a bore.
Notes
Towns in New South Wales
Towns in the Central West (New South Wales)
Blayney Shire
{{CentralWestNSW-geo-stub