Barney received some European schooling at Mungana, a settlement about five miles out of Alice Springs. He spent five years in Western Australia working as a stockman at Halls Creek station, then returned to his traditional country at Haasts Bluff and continued droving work on the government cattle station before starting to paint in the mid 80's. He was a self-taught artist and began on small boards, which he sold to the Centre for Aboriginal artists. Barney had a unique and distinctive style and was one of the first to use the stippled brushwork backgrounds.