Byrock, New South Wales

Byrock New South Wales
The School
Byrock
Coordinates	30°39′7″S 144°24′4″E / 30.65194°S 144.40111°ECoordinates: 30°39′7″S 144°24′4″E / 30.65194°S 144.40111°E
Population	90 (2006)[1]
Postcode(s)	2831
Elevation	155 m (509 ft)
Location	575 km (357 mi) NW of Sydney 107 km (66 mi) NNE of Cobar 89 km (55 mi) SW of Brewarrina
LGA(s)	Bourke Shire
State electorate(s)	Barwon
Federal Division(s)	Parkes
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 26 °C ^79 °F 13 °C ^55 °F 404 mm ^15.9 in

Byrock is a small village in north western New South Wales, Australia in Bourke Shire. In 2006, Byrock had a population of 90 people.^[2]

It is named after a rock hole, called Bai by the Nyammba tribe. This became the Bye Rockhole, then Bye Rock, then Byrock.^[3]

Byrock is on the Mitchell Highway roughly halfway between Bourke to north-west and Nyngan to the south-east.

Railways

Byrock was founded to serve the Cobb and Co stagecoaches. The railway reached Byrock from Nyngan in 1874, with an extension to Bourke opening on 3/9/1885.^[4] On 6 July 1900, Byrock became a railway junction when the new branch line Byrock to Brewarrina opened.^[5] The branch line to Brewarrina closed in 1974 after the line was damaged by flooding, the mainline from Nyngan to Bourke through Byrock was closed in May 1989, after flooding caused major track damage. Passenger train services ceased in 1975.

Services

The Mulga Creek Hotel with a caravan and camping ground.^[6]

Water

Byrock relies on rainfall for its non potable water supply that is channeled into a large ground tank, settled and then pumped to the historical railway tank. Water is then gravity fed to dwellings. When the ground tank runs dry, emergency water cartage from Bourke is provided by road tanker, as was the case around 2006.^[7][8]

Byrock has one Council maintained bore.^[9]

Cemetery

The Byrock Cemetery is the resting place for pioneers who died between 1882 and 1933. The average age at death of those buried in this cemetery is 20 years.^[10]

Public transport

NSW TrainLink operate a bus service between Dubbo and Bourke, via Nyngan, four days a week.^[11]

Airstrip

Byrock has a gravel airstrip 1067 metres long with no facilities. It is located next to the town on the western side of the Mitchell Highway.^[12]

Newspaper

The Western Herald community newspaper is delivered free to Byrock from Bourke every Thursday.^[13]

School

In 2006, the school was placed on review because of insufficient enrolments and has since been formally closed. By September 2009, the site of the former Byrock Public School was put up for sale by the NSW Department of Education.^[14]

Gallery

• 

  Butcher shop, Byrock

• 

  Water tower, Byrock

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cobar (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Byrock (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
3. [Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/place_naming/placename_search/extract?id=. Missing or empty |title= (help) KWjLjztLMa "Byrock"] Check |url= value (help). Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 2006-12-26. line feed character in |url= at position 958 (help)
4. "THE RAILWAY TO BOURKE.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 29 August 1885. p. 10. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
5. "BYROCK TO BREWARRINA.". The Singleton Argus (NSW: National Library of Australia). 3 July 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
6. Mulga Creek Hotel (accessed 29 September 2010)
7. "Byrock Water Supply". Bourke Shire Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
8. "Recent rain eases Byrock water crises". ABC News. August 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
9. Bourke Shire Council Bourke Township and Surrounding Village Water Sampling (accessed 29 September 2010)
10. Australian Cemeteries Byrock Cemetery (accessed 29 September 2010)
11. CountryLink Sydney to Bourke Timetable (accessed 29 September 2010)
12. "Bourke Shire Council – Byrock Airstrip". Bourke Shire Council. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
13. The Media Workshop Bourke Western Herald (accessed 28 September 2010)
14. "Byrock Public School up for sale". ABC News. September 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2012.

External links

Media related to Byrock, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons

Preceding station		NSW Main lines		Following station
Marooma towards Bourke		Main Western Line (closed section)		Coolabah towards Sydney
Preceding station		NSW Closed lines		Following station
Wyuna Downs towards Brewarrina		Brewarrina Line		Terminus