http://www.fadingvictoria.com/ Fading Victoria - fading suburban sites, rural ruins en-us http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4180/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4180/ Located around 1.5 kilometres away from the nearest commercial building in Talbot, this ruin may have been a hotel, or perhaps an extravagant home. The upper part of the chimney hints at the height and style of the missing roof. Sheep graze in the background. The site does not appear to be heritage listed. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080728XF9N3954/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080728XF9N3954/ The only building remaining at Olrig, believed to have been built in the 1840's, is now fully restored. In the early 1990s a rear weatherboard section was destroyed by fire; substantial corrugated iron outbuildings collapsed and were demolished in early 2007. At least 25 mature trees have been removed from the site since redevelopment began. Inset shows the remaining bluestone building fenced off and boarded up in February 2007. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3752/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3752/ Revisited 3 years later: Unfortunately, this tiny cottage appears to have collapsed. Visible in the debris is a sink and an old spring bed. See the image below to find out what it used to look like. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3866/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3866/ Revisited 18 months later: The house is still there, as are the two horses. This time only one of them wanted to pose. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3900/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080709XF9N3900/ Revisited 18 months later: The Calder Freeway bypass is complete, and this abandoned house is still standing. It used to be set back about 250 metres from a quiet rural road; it's now about 100 metres from a busy freeway. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071214XF9N9739/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071214XF9N9739/ An old beehive well on an abandoned rural property of roughly 300 acres in size. Being in a prime land development area - in fact there's a new estate developing less than 100 metres away - this view will probably be filled with new houses in years to come. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N8792/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N8792/ Two mailboxes at the start of a dead end road. Battery ruins visible in the background. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070805XF9N6043/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070805XF9N6043/ Charming rural sign, complete with pellet shot holes. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080518XF9N2948/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080518XF9N2948/ The former John Kelly House at Beveridge is fenced off from casual observers, but appears to be gradually succumbing to vandals and the elements. I noticed several doorways were open when they had previously been secured. A sign out the front says, "Pride in Victoria's Heritage." http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080113XF9N0426/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080113XF9N0426/ A magpie poses momentarily (see area to the right of the door) before wandering around this abandoned property. I could do the same, but I'd probably be prosecuted for trespass. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080223XF9N1302/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080223XF9N1302/ A row of abandoned and boarded up shops and houses in Ballarat. There are a total of five shopfronts and two houses which lie dormant. None have a heritage listing so presumably the site will be developed commercially in the not too distant future. Near the middle of the image you can see an old terminating post for power and telephone wiring. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080302XF9N1516/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080302XF9N1516/ It is not known whether the painting on this door is original or a historical reproduction, but it is known that this facade has been virtually untouched for years, save for some half-hearted patch up jobs on broken windows. The shop is no longer open. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071125XF9N9606/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071125XF9N9606/ A Virgin Blue aircraft passes over a cemetary moments before touching down. The cemetary has obviously been here longer than the airport; the people who originally owned the land that the airport now occupies are buried there. Several seconds after the aircraft pass over and disappear from view, the turbulent airstream that follows behind them swishes eerily through the trees. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20041020_CRW_5542/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20041020_CRW_5542/ Huge earth moving trucks involved in the construction of the Hume Freeway Craigieburn bypass. This photo was taken at about 11pm. This section of the bypass opened to traffic in December 2005. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060704XF9N8424/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060704XF9N8424/ This stone wall probably existed long before the land was ever used for storing explosives for the Australian Navy and Australian Army; the area has been off limits to the public for over 65 years so it likely remains relatively untouched. To the left of the image, a set of fence posts lead into a runoff area flooded in the late 1960's in order to protect the Greenvale Reservoir water. Ordnance warehouses are visible on the right. Some or all of this fence is likely to be removed in order to construct the E14 expressway. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N8762/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N8762/ Closed abruptly by a fire nearly 2 1/2 years before this photo was taken, an old hotel sits and waits for the day it will hopefully be restored to its former glory. A chalkboard outside the dining room advises, "Sorry, restaurant fully booked tonight. Meals available in bar." http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060808XF9N8977/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060808XF9N8977/ If it wasn't for the remnants of window glass in the former Navy armaments depot in Somerton (now Greenvale) you might be fooled into thinking this was a picture hanging on the wall. Dedicated power infrastructure is visible as well as part of warehouse 14. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N9004/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071027XF9N9004/ An abandoned house in Glenlyon. Parts of the weatherboard portion have been patched over with corrugated iron, but it's probably not stopping much from getting in. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1589/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1589/ It's amazing what you can find on rural back roads. Another apparently abandoned property on a huge parcel of land, with a modern house not far away. The former Redesdale railway line passed within about 150 metres of this property - it closed in the mid 1950's but much of the reserve is still intact. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070902XF9N7594/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070902XF9N7594/ The back of this house appears to have been dismantled by man rather than destroyed by nature; a new roof suggests that perhaps this house is getting some much needed TLC. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070501XF9N3957/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070501XF9N3957/ A foggy morning brings out the beautiful colours of weathered wood and rusted roofing on this old house. The back doesn't look quite so pretty - the roof is missing. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070428XF9N3703/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070428XF9N3703/ Buildings at a possible former hotel, built about 150 years ago, now answer only to mother nature. Bits and pieces have been falling off this since I discovered it in 2004, with the damage probably being more than skin deep. The back wall of the building on the left has fallen off, and the chimney is also missing a few bricks. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070413XF9N3395/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070413XF9N3395/ This cast iron water tank, located inside the former Spencer Street Power Station, was built in 1889 by J. Abbot and Co. from Gateshead in England. It was used as part of the city's hydraulic power scheme, which pumped water under pressure to provide hydraulic power for lifts and other devices. It was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in May 2007. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070807XF9N6388/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070807XF9N6388/ I first came across this corner milk bar in about 1995, and even back then it was derelict. Cigarette advertising in the window suggests it closed prior to 1990, or was in breach of legislation past that date. In mid 2007 posters advertising the launch of Westpac's Handyline phone banking service appeared in the window - quite strange considering they would have been printed around 1987! There are no obvious signs of anyone living there, at least comfortably... the electricity is disconnected, and an upstairs window is broken. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070819XF9N7070/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070819XF9N7070/ An old MMBW Furphy brand cart on display at a children's farm. Some of the text reads: BORN ABOUT 1880 - STILL GOING STRONG / J. FURPHY & SONS / MAKERS / VIC / SHEPPARTON http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070826XF9N7309/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070826XF9N7309/ A charming sign found on a property fronting a dead end rural road. Not many people are likely to drive past it, so I've captured it for you to enjoy. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070814XF9N6693/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070814XF9N6693/ An unusually named agricultural device located near the ruins of Cumberland. The faded stencilled text reads: MAY'S OIL BATH SPREADER / 1937 PATENT (illegible) / 1ST PRIZE MELBOURNE ROYAL SHOW / CHANDLER FITZROY. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2105/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2105/ Considering that Victoria is currently in a state of drought this sort of scene can be a rare sight these days. This photo was taken in 2005, near the Cheviot Railway Tunnel. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050609XF9N1269/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050609XF9N1269/ Is it nostalgia or cost which causes owners to choose to allow a property to naturally decay, rather than just demolish it? As with many rural ruins, this building has relatively modern fencing around it to prevent cattle getting too close. Sheep are grazing in the background. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050509XF9N0430/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050509XF9N0430/ This old tree located inside Woodlands Historic Park isn't faring too well, but it still manages to look beautiful. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070501XF9N3938/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070501XF9N3938/ Remnants of a brick fireplace stick out of the side of a decaying weatherboard building. A barn in better condition sits behind it. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050918XF9N2605/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050918XF9N2605/ A battered Holden FE Special from the mid 1950's sits with other cars from a similar era. These were raced at Alexandra until the 1980's, when they retired to this private property bordering a state forest. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2092/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2092/ This train tunnel was completed in 1889 and was closed to railway traffic in the 1970's. The interior of the tunnel is quite dark, but in this case a long exposure reveals the intricate brickwork around a safety point embedded into the wall. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070606XF9N4907/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070606XF9N4907/ The original bluestone paving in this small dead-end lane is slowly revealing itself, as the more recent ashphalt covering disintegrates. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070606XF9N4889/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070606XF9N4889/ Little Leichardt Street (known previously as Eagle Alley) no longer exists, but the entrance to the skyscraper that now covers most of it has been set back in sympathy; the side wall of the former Black Eagle Hotel still displays signs advertising businesses in the now demolished buildings. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070528XF9N4558/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070528XF9N4558/ An old sign painted on the rear wall of a former pharmacy. It reads: "RAY CHANDLER CHEMIST / DeWitt's Otis TONIC TABLETS." The remnants of older wording are still faintly visible underneath: "C. PHILLIPS" http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070711XF9N5465/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070711XF9N5465/ The roof appears to be missing from this building at a former Carlton Brewery building; in reality there's little more than a facade left, with the front wall supported by temporary steel bracing. The brewery complex closed in the late 1980's and only a couple of major buildings remain. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070711XF9N5387/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070711XF9N5387/ A clock sits high above the road on a pole, near the former terminus of many south-of-city routes (they now terminate at Melbourne University). The clock was most likely used for timing tram departures. It was not moving when this photo was taken. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070703XF9N5250/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070703XF9N5250/ This rural site will be demolished and redeveloped into a wholesale market in 2008. Behind the camera, an industrial estate and petrol station have already been built. Several tall buildings from Melbourne City are visible in the distance. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1578/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1578/ This decaying weatherboard house is located about 80 metres from the apparent edge of the new Calder Freeway bypass, which will split the land in two. Will this house survive, and are there other buildings that have already fallen victim to the roadworks? http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070119XF9N1278/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070119XF9N1278/ This derelict 1940's era Chevrolet truck has definitely seen better days. It sits inside a vast farm property not far from the sea, with a set of shiny new roads and homes across the road... it's not hard to guess what may happen to this property in the future. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20061117marord1/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20061117marord1/ The former explosives factory at Maribyrnong contains literally hundreds of buildings. This image, taken from the opposite side of the Maribyrnong River, shows a relatively small number of the remaining structures. The facility closed in the early 1990's; parts of the site have already been redeveloped into residential land. Note the low density of building placement, and the surrounding earth mounds which are designed to divert accidental explosions upwards rather than outwards. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070224XF9N2494/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070224XF9N2494/ A ripped fly screen, missing decking, collapsed verandah and a modern building nearby suggest this house has been abandoned by humans. The cows still call it home. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070203XF9N1911/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070203XF9N1911/ Most development in the Craigieburn area has occurred to the west of the Hume Highway. This old gate sits about 100m east of the highway, in an area which has not been redeveloped. It is not completely untouched: two houses have disappeared, there is a mobile phone tower installed at the rear of the property, and a storage area for trains is being built next to it. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1558/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1558/ A single roof unifies what appear to be three quite different portions of this building. Perhaps the brick rubble to the left of the picture is the remainder of a fourth... http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070327XF9N2816/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070327XF9N2816/ When you tilt the camera up to the sky, suburbia disappears from view. The reality is that this 11 acre site is now completely surrounded by developed houses, and is itself being developed into a school. After a fire in the 1990's and demolishing of substantial outbuildings in 2007 there only remains trees and a small bluestone cottage. Look carefully in the background sky and you'll see the stars. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070130XF9N1865/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070130XF9N1865/ An old State Electricity Commission sign on a pole in a semi-rural area warns of the potential danger. "H.T." most likely stands for "high tension" meaning a lethally high voltage. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1537/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070123XF9N1537/ Two horses walk to greet me as I take a photo of a derelict bluestone house. A couple of hundred metres behind this building a freeway bypass is being carved into the rural landscape. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060616turpins1/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060616turpins1/ Extreme wide angle view from near the pool at the bottom of Turpin's Falls, showing the steps leading upwards. This composite shot was created from five sequential photos which are stitched together to form a single 55 megapixel image. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060616XF9N8048/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060616XF9N8048/ At the top, just near where the main stream falls - when there's enough water. From here it's a substantial drop into the pool below. This section was closed off to the public in the early 2000's but signs remain warning of submerged rocks and previous deaths. At least one person has successfully gone over the edge in a canoe... he proved it by emailing me a photo.