Scholar, musician, World War One fighter pilot and qualified engineer, Norman Sykes was one of Railton’s most colourful residents and one of Tasmania’s most eccentric conservationists. His dream was to live as close to nature as possible and he gave up all the comforts of a city life to do so.
He was resolutely independent, getting around either on foot or by bicycle and left civilisation to live in a small shack on 40 acres of bushland in Railton. He donated his property to the community with the instruction that it be turned into a sanctuary for birds and other fauna.
Walk up the path at this location to view a series of information boards - eventually leading you to the Norman Sykes monument at the heart of the Sanctuary.