Barmedman

Barmedman is a rural town in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia. It is the home of two large wheat silos with over a million bushels combined. At the 2011 census, Barmedman had a population of 212.[1] The town's name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word meaning 'long water'.[2]

Barmedman
New South Wales
Main street of Barmedman
Barmedman
Coordinates34°09′0″S 147°23′0″E
Population212 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2668
Elevation262 m (860 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Bland Shire Council
State electorate(s)Cootamundra
Federal Division(s)Riverina

Barmedman grew around the huge Barmedman station, owned by John Cartwright. Mining activities in the 1870s and 1880s brought the town population to an all-time high of almost 400, yet little was actually found.

The town is famous for being the site of a mineral pool which originated in the 1880s after the flooding of the Barmedman goldmines from an underground aquifer.

Barmedman is located on the Lake Cargelligo railway line, and was the junction for the Rankins Springs railway line. The town became a 'mouse that roared' in rugby league during the Maher Cup period from the 1920s to 1960s. The Barmedman Maroons attracted famous players to captain-coach, including George Mason, Tom Kirk, Keith Gittoes and Ron Crowe.

Major sources of income in the region include wheat and canola cropping, and sheep grazing. The area is growing more popular each year with visitors viewing the famous historic fire engine at the Rural Fire Brigade Station and ghost hunters at the abandoned Wargin Railway Station where a headless horseman is believed to haunt an old settlement since the early 1800s and gold panning in the district.

The town also hosts a show, the Barmedman Show, every year on the first Saturday of September. The show features rides, equestrian events, the Beaut Ute competition, plus a luncheon pavilion and numerous arts, crafts, cookery, agricultural and school exhibitions. Another event in Barmedman is the Modified Tractor Pull. The event is famous in the area, where tractors that have been upgraded by their owners, compete by dragging huge weights in a certain period of time. The tractor pull as has attractions such as games for the children, a bar for adults, and other displays, which vary from year to year.

Victoria Cross recipient Reg Rattey was born in Barmedman.[3]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Barmedman (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. "Barmedman". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  3. "Corporal Reginald Roy Rattey VC". Digger History. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.

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