Barry, New South Wales

Barry is a small village in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Blayney Shire. It is situated within an hours driving time from the townships and villages of Blayney, Millthorpe, Mandurama, Neville, Lyndhurst and Carcoar. In 2006, Barry had a population of 232 people.

History

One of the original occupants was prospector Edward Hargreaves who originally named the village Five Islands. He probably chose this name from a parcel of about 100 acres (0.40 km²) of land that he previously owned in the Five Islands area of Wollongong 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, town hall, 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 or bishops of the time, including Barber, Moorhouse, Hale, Marsden, Pearson, Sawyer, Turner, Selwyn and Staunton.

Barry today

Today all the public buildings except for the St James Anglican Church and the Community Hall are closed. Other public buildings such as the Post Office, the stores the school residence, and the former Catholic Church of St Therese are private residences.

Barry's streets, other than the intersection of Selwyn and Sawyer, remain unsealed. Water resources have however improved with water now flowing from a hilltop tank which is constantly supplied by a bore.