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Barmedman, NSW

Old goldmining town now known for its therapeutic mineral pool

Barmedman is a small rural service town in the heart of the Riverina's wheat and sheep belt. Not surprisingly its history, apart from a brief period when gold was mined, has been tied to the large properties that surround it. Today it is little more than a main street with a single attraction: the Mineral Swimming Pool. The district's economic focus is summed up by the two large wheat silos in town.

Location

Barmedman is a small rural town located 460 km west of Sydney and approximately halfway between Temora and West Wyalong.

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Origin of Name

The popular interpretation of the town's name is that it is a Wiradjuri word meaning 'long water'.

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Things to See and Do

Barmedman Mineral Pool
Whether it is the largest mineral pool in the world can be debated. What can't be debated is that the popular Barmedman Mineral Swimming Pool certainly is much larger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool and, at 48 m wide by 57 m long it is larger than the other main contender the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool which is 122m long and only 20m wide. The pool occurred as a result of the flooding of the Barmedman goldmine by an underground stream in the 1880s. It became popular with the locals in the 1950s. Before 1960 it was simply a muddy pool. Then it was concreted and in 2011-2012 it had a major upgrade courtesy of the Bland Council and local volunteers. The result is a spectacular pool with a large shaded area and a shallow area of non-swimmers. It is now located in  a four-hectare reserve with camping and barbecue facilities. Some people claim it has therapeutic healing properties as a result of the high mineral content. (See comments below for a correction to this information).

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History

* Prior to European settlement the district around Barmedman was part of the vast lands of central NSW occupied by the Wiradjuri people. There is a record of an early settler witnessing a particularly bitter battle between two groups of Aborigines with a single spear passing through two men and killing them both. There is also a claim of one man being decapitated by a boomerang. No one knows what the battle was about.

* The explorer John Oxley travelled through the area in 1817 and was unimpressed. He described the Riverine plain around Barmedman as 'these desolate areas [that] would never again be visited by civilised man'. It is a comment on the blindness to Aboriginal culture of the early explorers that while dismissing the land as desolate Oxley did describe the Wiradjuri as 'strong and healthy', noted they carried stone axes, spears and woomeras, and pointed out that they wore possum skin coats as it was winter.

* The colony's Surveyor-general, Thomas Mitchell, travelled through the area in 1827 and with little imagination named it 'The Levels'. Yes it is very flat.

* Squatters arrived in the district in 1833. They called it 'The Blands' which led to the name - Bland Shire. It is significant that the barren plains were, at that time, covered with grey and yellow box, belah and bull oak, ironbark, cypress pine, acacias, quandongs, melaleucas and scrubby grasses. The task of clearing must have been enormous as the first major property, named Barmedman, covered 35,840 acres (14,504 ha) was occupied by John Cartwright who ran only 53 horses and 877 cattle.

* Gold was discovered near the town in 1872. It was not a substantial find and by 1882, when the district's population had grown to 365, there were only about 150 miners. Only 3.3 kg of gold was found in 1882. This rose to 144.3 kg in 1883. Mining continued until the early twentieth century with companies bringing batteries and heavy equipment into the area.

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Visitor Information

The Bland Shire website nominates the Barmedman Post Office, 60 Queen Street, Barmedman as the appropriate destination for visitor enquiries. Tel: (02) 6972 2008.

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Useful Websites

A truly local website with lots of information about the town (and lots of praise and enthusiasm) is http://blandshire.nsw.gov.au/villages/barmedman

 

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Got something to add?

Have we missed something or got a top tip for this town? Have your say below.

22 suggestions
  • Just 16km west of the township is the gravesite of Sgt A E Smith who is believed to be the famous headless horseman of Barmedman on the Indian Fig plantation of Knott Tara situated at the old Wargin silo.
    Ghost hunters frequently visit the site.

    Henry Bieber
    • Hi Henry, do you have any further information about this sergeant Smith? Was he a trooper or a soldier? When did he die? The grave and headstone were removed 10 years ago.

      Victoria
  • An ancestor of my wife Jane Robinson, husband Thomas Cowl. She was born 25 Aug 1799 on Force Garth Farm, Middleton in Teesdale Durham, England. Married Thomas Cowl June 1827, Norton, Durham Eng. He died 1835 Launceston, Tasmania, She died March 4, 1889 Pine Hill Farm, Barmedman, NSW , She remarried George Goldstraw 1838 Launceston and George died 1870 Tallangatta, Victoria. Anyone any additional info to share?

    David Rattray, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
    • Hi David, your wife and I share a common ancestor in Jane Robinson …..she is my 3xGreat Grandmother and George Goldstraw is my 3xGreat Grandfather. I am currently researching their lives and planning a family podcast series to present my findings. I recently passed through Bardeman and visited the gravesite where she is buried. I plan to go back for a longer stay and see what I can find out about the last years of her life. I’m collecting lots of information and really happy to share anything I find. Let me know if you’d like to be kept in the loop.

      Helen Begley
      • Hi Helen. I too am a direct descendent of Jane Goldstraw. My grandmother was Ellen (Nellie) Goldstraw and I also have a lot of info on Jane and George Goldstraw and their descendents that I’m more than happy to share. If you are interested my email is rextaylor05@gmail.com

        Rex Taylor
  • Barmedman now has a new General Store, The Postman’s Pantry as well as a homewares and gift shop The Hitching Post and accommodation for visitors at Ada House which was built in 1907 as the Postmasters residence and Kortmar Manor B n B of similar vintage and was originally the Catholic School for the township. See http://www.barmedman.com.au

    The Barmed Postie Steve Raine
  • gold prospecting in area

    David
  • The Kirk family (famous footballer – father Tom Kirk) lived Barmedman 1948 – 1954 – Real fine people – mostly farmers clarks/bushels/henmans/Lawrence/Kelly/quinlan/Morton/maitland – three pubs royal – Barmedman – queensland – john meaghers and co – bergs bakery – fred english garage – samios café – very good and tough maher cup team/s – Towns people built the tennis courts and mineral pool in the 1950’s incredible efforts – wonderful time – simple life … beaut school … memories for life

    Ian KIRK
    • can someone tell me or give me the site name about the history behind 55 deboss street here please really want to know a bit more about this place. if someone can that will be great. thx.

      Hayley
      • Hayley, why don’t you try Bland Shire Council for Historical records about 55 DeBoos St. I lived in Barmedman for quite some time. I cannot remember any specific history on this house. Or talk to the Bland Museum in West Wyalong. Cheers Kim.

        Kim Lee
  • Hello from Forbes.
    Just wondering if Barmedman still has a local Craft shop with Vintage Collectables for sale as well.
    Would love to visit so need to know opening hours.
    Thanks heaps in advance,

    Deirdre Quirk
  • My Grandfather, surname Sam or Sams, and his many siblings were born to a Chinese Father and an Irish Mother in Barmedman and I believe later moved to West Wyalong. My Grand Father, George Sams, settled in Griffith after he and his brothers returned from serving in WW1.He received a gift medallion for his service in WW1 from the township of Barmedman. I have some information just curious if anyone one has more. Many thanks.

    Vicki
  • My mother Nellie (still alive) was born in Barmedman in 1928. Her family owned a wheat farm in Weethalle at the time. They lived there until about 1940. Her family name was Clark. Her mother’s family name was Wood of Rankin Springs. Anyone know or remember them? A long shot I know.

    Deborah Smale
  • I purchased a book in Young by Mrs Sarah Musgrave: “The Wayback”; this book has a feature, in ch-7, of the first settlers in ” The Levels” renamed to “The Bland” by Mrs Harriet Regan in 1835. Young Historical Society and Museum has this information.

    Mario Hatzioannou
  • I am the great granddaughter of George Henry & Helena May (Collier) Bacon and the granddaughter of Laurence Rupert Henry Bacon who grew up in Barmedman along with his siblings. He is buried in the Barmedman cemetary. Does anyone know of or has a connection to the Bacon clan?

    Katrina
  • QUOTE “and in 2011-2012 it had a major upgrade courtesy of the Bland Council and local volunteers. The result is a spectacular pool with a large shaded area and a shallow area of non-swimmers.” This is incorrect, the only thing done was the shade sails, all other works was done about 2014 when the diving blocks and pool edge were rebuilt and everything repainted, I know. I provided all the materials about $1000 and did the work myself. Sorry it was 2011, but there was no team of volunteers, i have most of the before and after photos

    Archer Quinn
  • Has anyone recently been to Barmedman? Last time I drove through Queen St in 2016 it was a ghost town. Hotel, shops, Auspost and police station permanently closed and the pool dried and deserted. Bland shire council doing absolutely nothing for this town.

    Kay