http://www.fadingvictoria.com/ Fading Victoria - fading suburban sites, rural ruins en-us http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20091230XF9N8270/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20091230XF9N8270/ A bridge abandoned when this area was flooded in the 1960s to create Lake Eppalock. Drought in more recent times has receded the water enough that the bridge has once again become exposed, and the river looks like a river again. Most of the land in this photo, apart from the distant hill, is usually under water, so obviously this road is no longer used for access. Inset shows detail of the wooden bridge decking that has been soaked for 40+ years. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081220XF9N6762/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081220XF9N6762/ An abandoned railway signalling system, with cut wire still hanging from the pole. The remains of an old semaphore signal are visible behind it. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090528XF9N0599/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090528XF9N0599/ A small bridge crosses a creek intersecting the former Redesdale railway line. The last train passed over it sometime in the 1950s. Tracks were pulled up long ago, but other structures such as this still remain within the reserve, mostly now private property. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090618XF9N1135/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090618XF9N1135/ Run down bluestone homestead in the middle of a new Vicurban estate. The rear iron roofing has fallen off, revealing what appears to be an earlier version of cladding. This property will be developed into a school in the future. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20100228XF9N7403/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20100228XF9N7403/ The front part of an old Chevrolet truck, which appears to be from an early 1940s Series AK. There are other similar era front ends littered around the yard. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20100218XF9N9667/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20100218XF9N9667/ The tags on this equipment say it was last checked in 1986, but its age looks to be a fair bit older. The ammeters are Triplett (left) and Weston (right) models. The railway line has been closed for around 15 years but the track and equipment have not been removed...yet. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20091012XF9N7119/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20091012XF9N7119/ An old mile post on the Pyrenees Highway. One side says "AT 72" (Ararat 72 miles), the other "C 13" (Castlemaine 13 miles). http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090701XF9N2003/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20090701XF9N2003/ Old stone fence at a former farm site, which will soon be redeveloped into a wholesale market. This property used to front a sleepy dead end rural road; it's now a 4 lane major thoroughfare passing through several suburbs. This particular area is slated for high levels of industrial and commercial development. It's likely the extensive stonewall fencing on this property will be demolished. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20051010XF9N3218/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20051010XF9N3218/ Looking through roadside trees towards an old barn. Note the dunny attached to the rear. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2165/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20050908XF9N2165/ A mature tree grows from the engine bay of a beaten up old car used for racing. The car has been in this position for at least 20-25 years. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071013XF9N8416/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071013XF9N8416/ Opened on 25th March 1888, this historic church recently closed after nearly 120 years of service. The site is currently for sale, marketed as "Land with opportunity" and "Excellent residential development potential (STCA)." The side wall of Fowles Cottage (since demolished to make way for units) is visible next to the church. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071013XF9N8413/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20071013XF9N8413/ Built sometime between 1857 and 1880, this 130+ year old cottage contrasted sharply with rapid modern development in the surrounding area. It was demolished on 28th February 2008, but was derelict for some time before that. At one point squatters were living in the building. The property boundaries now show a redevelopment of four units. Next door is a church of similar vintage that is up for sale. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070805XF9N6016/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070805XF9N6016/ Old truck and harvester having what is probably a well earned rest. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070303XF9N2622/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070303XF9N2622/ This derelict weatherboard house, despite its appearance, is actually occupied. Power seems to be connected but the phone line has been neatly chopped off. The owner thought I was someone from the council wanting to harass him about native trees. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081010XF9N4905/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081010XF9N4905/ A virtually hidden cemetery that appears to have been abandoned. The newest grave was created 24 years ago, and the oldest (that I could find) dates back to the 1870s. The site is located near the summit of a mountain on a 1-in-5 steeply graded and badly rutted track. Mother nature has partially reclaimed the area which makes it very difficult to find, even if you know it's there. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4093/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4093/ An old bluestone shack and an unknown red brick structure, both in a sorry state of repair. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081220XF9N6876/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20081220XF9N6876/ An old single lane bridge that has been bypassed by a concrete ford. To the right, a car's headlight trails show the deviation of the modern road. This photo was taken at around 9:15pm in near darkness, but a long exposure makes it appear to be a daylight shot. Note the missing rails - where did they go? http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4236/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080811XF9N4236/ An old weatherboard cottage that has probably seen better days. It seems only cattle live here now. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080525XF9N3133/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20080525XF9N3133/ Hidden from view on a large private property, this three storey bluestone building adjacent to a creek was a flour/steam mill dating back to the 1850s. A photo from 1970 taken by John Collins shows the ruin was in a very similar condition to today. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070901XF9N7462/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20070901XF9N7462/ A rusted and faded rural road sign advising that Bolinda is 7 miles away. According to the RACV, the logo to the right of the sign was introduced in 1950; miles as a measure of distance were phased out by around 1974. Based on these dates the age of the sign would have been between about 33 and 57 years old, at the time the image was taken in September 2007. The sign has been removed since. http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060507XF9N7183/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/image/20060507XF9N7183/ A decaying road bridge, long ago bypassed with a modern concrete and bitumen monolith. They don't make them like they used to... http://www.fadingvictoria.com/collections/RANAD-Somerton-20060312/ http://www.fadingvictoria.com/collections/RANAD-Somerton-20060312/ [IMAGE COLLECTION] 114 assorted photos of former Navy base. 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.