Byrock, New South Wales

Byrock is a small village in north western New South Wales, Australia in Bourke Shire. In 2006, Byrock had a population of 90 people.It is named after a rock hole, called Bai by the Nyammba tribe. This became the Bye Rockhole, then Bye Rock, then Byrock.Byrock is on the Mitchell Highway roughly halfway between Bourke to north-west and Nyngan to the south-east.RailwaysByrock 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 September 1885. On 6 July 1900, Byrock became a railway junction when the new branch line Byrock to Brewarrina opened. 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.ServicesThe Mulga Creek Hotel with a caravan and camping ground.WaterByrock 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.Byrock has one Council maintained bore.