Baryulgil is a rural locality in north-eastern

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. The locality is on the Clarence River in the

Clarence Valley Council Clarence Valley Council is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The council services an area of and draws its name from the Clarence River, which flows through most of the council area. The are ...

local government area.

History

According to the Geographical Names Board, the name is derived from an Aboriginal language, meaning a certain species of large lizard, although it is also "apparently a corruption of 'Yulgilbar' the name of Edwards Ogelvie's run". Baryulgil Post Office opened on 1 January 1896 and closed in 1991.

Asbestos mining

Historically, other than agriculture,

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

mining had been the most important industry in the Baryulgil area. The Baryulgil asbestos mine operated from 1953 to 1979. It has since shown that the mine and its related operations, as well as its remains, have had a major adverse impact on the health of the inhabitants, in particular the

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

community, with 20% of the population expected to contract

mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining ...

. The impacts of asbestos on health to the Baryulgil community were documented by

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

journalist

Matt Peacock Matt Peacock is an Australian journalist and author who has worked for Australia's ''ABC News'' in television and radio since 1973,Dan Harrison,ABC elects staffer Peacock as director, ''Sydney Morning Herald'' (22 April 2013). authoring a criti ...

in his book ''

Killer Company ''Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed'' is a 2009 Australian book by journalist Matt Peacock. Overview The book documents how the use of harmful asbestos fibre in building materials produced by James Hardie Industries "led to the deaths of tho ...

'' and telemovie ''

Devil's Dust ''Devil's Dust'' is a two-part Australian television docu-drama mini-series on the ABC which first screened in 2012. Based on journalist Matt Peacock's 2009 book '' Killer Company'', ''Devil's Dust'' was researched and developed by producer S ...

''.

Location and facilities

The village of Baryulgil, sometimes locally referred to as "The Square", is situated on The Clarence Way, a scenic road between Tabulam and Copmanhurst. The village is situated a short distance from the Clarence River. Baryulgil is in Yulgilbar parish of

Drake County Drake County is one of the 141 Cadastral divisions of New South Wales. Drake County was named in honour of Sir Francis Drake (1540–1596). It is located to the north of parts of the Clarence River, Nymboida River and Mann River. It includes ...

, and within the Clarence Valley Council

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

. The village has a small public primary and infants school that serves the local area.

Notable people

Bayrugil is the birthplace of Australian cricketer

Jack Marsh Jack Marsh ( – 25 May 1916) was an Australian first-class cricketer of Australian Aboriginal descent who represented New South Wales in six matches from 1900–01 to 1902–03. A right-arm fast bowler of extreme pace, Marsh was blessed with h ...

and former boxer Tony Mundine.

Footnotes

References

External links

Baryulgil
on ''Koori History''
Baryulgil
on ''Walkabout'' Clarence Valley Council Mining towns in New South Wales Northern Rivers