Barney was a Senior law man within his Alawa Community.  He started painting with the original Ngundungunya school of artists at Ngukurr on the Roper River in south east Arnhem Land in 1987. His style was reminiscent of the ancient rock art painted in caves through out his peoples land.   Each line represented a different aspect of his country. He paitings have been showcased in collections such as the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth, Laverty Collection,  Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Sadly, Barney passed away in October 2015