Railton

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• Weather for Railton

Railton was first established in 1853 with a hotel, 3 churches, and a school. Early settlers occupied slab huts and were mainly involved in timber cutting and farming. By the 1900s Railton was a flourishing timber trade centre and had 2 sawmills. Presently, Railton is known as the Town of Topiary.

Topiaries (the clipping or trimming of live shrubs or trees into decorative shapes, such as animals) were established to bring tourism to Railton. A group of involved residents and business owners formed their own society to promote the idea within the local community. The Railton Topiary Group was formed and have been working ever since to encourage more topiary to be planted, assisting people to re-shape existing hedges into shapes and assisting with advice on frames and plants.

There are many topiaries in various stages of growth spotted throughout the town. In many instances frames are positioned to show how the topiary will appear once the plants are fully grown. The town walking guide to the topiaries can be grabbed at shops in the main street. Come and enjoy walking around Railton and watch the town "grow" with each stay. Some of the topiaries are located in private gardens and require visitors to quietly view without entering the properties.

Railton is a short drive from Devonport via Latrobe, it is a part of Tasmania's "Outdoor Art Gallery". There more than 100 living sculptures of character topiary waiting to be discovered.