Discover Buxton
Orchard farmers and railway workers helped shape Buxton, a northern neighbour on the original Picton-Mittagong railway.
The 2021 Census counted 2,071 people in the ABS suburb and locality of Buxton.[11]
Explore nearby and connected places: Balmoral · Hill Top · Colo Vale · Mittagong
Buxton through time
Railway and the early settlement
Buxton is in Wollondilly Shire, north of the Wingecarribee boundary. Its railway and community links make it a useful neighbouring place in a wider Southern Highlands history. Wollondilly Council’s village study records that the name comes from Buxton in Derbyshire, England.[3]
The original Great Southern Railway was extended from Picton to Mittagong in 1867. Council dates the local settlement to 1883 and describes early residents as orchard farmers and railway workers. Heritage NSW dates the opening of Buxton’s station to 1893: the arrival of the line and the opening of this particular station were separate events.[3][4]
The 1938 Parish of Cumbertine map records land portions and the old southern railway corridor in the wider Buxton-Balmoral district. Its catchment and mining reservations show other layers of land use; the map should be read with later survey and title records when tracing an individual parcel.[9]
The old railway through Buxton became part of the Picton-Mittagong Loop Line after a new main route was built through Bargo. The Society’s railway history traces the decision back to a 1914 Act of Parliament and records that the deviation opened in July 1919. Its purpose was to ease the steep grades and bottlenecks on the original line. The School of Arts and the streets beside the railway remain reminders of village life around that route.[3][4][10]
Community and school
A Picton Post correspondent described a 1930 concert in Buxton’s School of Arts, with visiting singers and local Scout leaders performing. The same report noted holiday visitors arriving by train and car, a snapshot of the village’s social life and its role as a destination after changes to the main railway route.[8]
For family and school researchers, Wollondilly Library lists Buxton Primary School: a brief history of the first hundred years 1894-1994. Picton and District Historical and Family History Society also collects histories of Buxton and surrounding Wollondilly communities. Check current arrangements with the NSW Rail Museum before planning a heritage train visit.[5][6][7]
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Browse maps and plans linked to Buxton
Explore the newsletters
Search newsletter contents for Buxton. You can also try nearby places, former names and other spellings.
Books in our Library
These catalogue titles mention Buxton. Check the linked catalogue and ask the Society about access.
- Kangaroo March ''Troop Train'Buxton/'Thirlmere (NSW) Wednesday - 7th October, 2015. Format: DVD. Photography by Al (2015) - catalogue p. 38
Further research
There is more to discover about Buxton in the Society’s archives and in other collections. A catalogue entry may lead to material that has not been digitised or needs to be consulted in person.
- Ask the Society’s research centre about local files, photographs and records.
- State Library of NSW collections - search photographs, maps, manuscripts and local publications.
- NSW Historical Land Records Viewer - search historical land records, plans and parish maps by place or parcel.
Sources already connected with this place include:
- Wollondilly Shire Council: Buxton centres study, history and community assets
- Heritage NSW: Couridjah Railway Station and the Picton-Mittagong line
- Wollondilly Library: towns within the shire and further reading
- Picton Post, 23 April 1930: Buxton concert and visitors
The Society can undertake professional research at $40 per hour. Contact the research centre to discuss your question and request a quote.