Buxton is a small village about 30 kilometres south of Picton on the ‘Old Loop Line’ Railway. Named after a town in Derbyshire, England the town owes its existence to the railway.
In 1867 the Great Southern Railway was extended from Picton to Mittagong along a steep incline atop the ridge on which Buxton today sits. For the next 50 years this single line was the main track south, until a two track deviation was built through Tahmoor and Bargo in 1919, after which it was known as the loop line. The steepness of the track (up to 1 in 33 between Buxton and Hilltop) meant that extra steam engines were required to haul the trains up from Picton and to slow them on the return journey.
The village itself dates from 1883 and had grown sufficiently by 1893 for its own platform on the line. About 4 kilometres north of Buxton, through Couridjah, is a turnoff to the left. A few kilometres of dirt road (suitable for ordinary cars) take you to Thirlmere Lakes, and mile of walking trails through a National Park.
Buxton has a small shopping centre and a large population tucked away in country streets and lanes in many modern houses whose occupants commute to work as far away as the city. Dense native Bushland still surrounds the village today, giving it a timeless and even often foreboding appearance. There are plenty of walking trails like the nearby Thirlmere Lakes National Park where you can today enjoy the unspoilt beauty, and extended trails.