By Vanessa Gimellaro, Local Landcare Coordinator – Macarthur Region
When visitors step off the historic steam train at Buxton Station, they’re now greeted by more than just a charming piece of heritage transport—they see a vibrant, living example of firewise garden design, thanks to the dedication of Buxton Landcare and our project partners.
Just over a year ago, Buxton Landcare formed with a vision to green and revitalise neglected public spaces. One of our first goals was to transform the Buxton Train Station surrounds. The station, situated on a private track operated by the Thirlmere Heritage Railway Museum, had long been an eyesore—one side a dusty, barren paddock, the other a dumping ground for old rail parts.
After early conversations with the Museum, we were given the green light to plant a few native gardens to enhance the station’s appearance. But that small idea soon grew into something much bigger—and far more meaningful.
About eight months into the project, the Museum cleared 112 metres of disused land and offered it to us for community use. Given Buxton’s tragic experience during the Black Summer fires, we proposed an idea that resonated with both the community and our partners: turn the space into a public demonstration of firewise garden design, showcasing how thoughtful landscaping can reduce bushfire risk.
The transformation began with the construction of a dry-stacked sandstone retaining wall, which helps act as a barrier to embers. Greater Sydney Landcare hosted a workshop over two days, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May from 9 am to 4 pm each day which was free to attend. The stone was sourced from a local quarry just 800 metres down the road, and we were lucky enough to have Emma Knowles of Stone of Arc—a master stonemason—lead the build through a hands-on workshop. Emma’s skill, humour, and teaching flair brought the community together to build a wall that will stand the test of time.
A second workshop was run by Greater Sydney Landcare on Saturday 10th May from 9 am to 12 pm to work on the firewise gardens. Hardscaping plays a critical role in firewise design. We used a combination of decomposed granite for the paths and a mix of stone mulches across the garden beds. Disused steel railway sleepers were cleverly repurposed as decorative pathway features. Thanks to Picton Sand and Soil for the materials and Tahmoor Rural Services for generously providing a bobcat and operator—special thanks to Reece, who ended up staying a little longer than expected (six hours instead of two!).
Plant selection was guided by expert Hannah Rebelo, Community Nursery Coordinator at Wollondilly Council’s Robin Davies Nursery. Hannah chose locally native species that are moisture-rich, low in volatile oils, and fire-retardant by nature. She personally designed the planting layout to ensure appropriate separation between groundcovers, shrubs, and trees—key in reducing fire spread. Every one of the 440 plants was propagated by dedicated volunteers from the Robin Davies Nursery in Picton. The plants will also help to control runoff from this site to keep our nearby waterway clean.
These workshops were funded through a partnership between the Great Eastern Ranges and Amazon Web Services to restore catchment and community resilience in the Wollondilly Shire. The project aims to improve water yield and quality, boost biodiversity and enhance the resilience of local communities to the impacts of climate change.
To help residents replicate firewise principles at home, the project encourages visitors to photograph plants they like and visit the nursery to pick up the same species—free of charge.
We’re grateful to Ibrahim, Alex, and Adam from Wollondilly Council for their ongoing support, and to the many volunteers who helped bring the site to life. Our stunning educational signage—hand-painted by Anthony Jones and the crew from Urban Art Australia—will soon be installed, completing the garden’s educational transformation.
Buxton Landcare is proud to maintain the site and thrilled to see both locals and train visitors enjoying the space. Next up: greening the dusty western side of the tracks.
This project is a powerful reminder that with community spirit, local knowledge, and a little stone and soil, we can turn neglected spaces into places of pride, resilience, and beauty.
Get Involved Today
Are you in or around the Wollondilly Shire? You can be a part of the Restoring Catchment & Community Resilience project.
You can be a part of Buxton Landcare and upcoming conservation events in the Wollondilly area.
To discuss opportunities to get involved in the project, contact Vanessa – vanessa.gimellaro@greatersydneylandcare.org
