Memories of Australia: Abandoned Buildings and Their Stories

How do we engage with places that once played a pivotal role in our communities? Memories of Australia explores this question by documenting abandoned buildings across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

Witness how nature is leading a successful takeover of old convents, power plants, textile factories, skate parks, and houses that now sit idle, awaiting their fate. The photographs document the architecture and interiors of Australia's industrial past, often exposing scenes that invite curiosity about a social culture that has slowly faded away. 

With subjects ranging from the once-important to the obscure, these haunting images show how the coastal areas are different from the harsh, dry interior, some of which has been declared uninhabitable. Backstories about the buildings often accompany these singular glimpses, leaving us to contemplate the architectural and cultural legacy of this mesmerising landscape.

About the author

Australian photographer Matt Bushell documents the frail beauty of once-lived-in spaces. His images breathe new life into beloved historical buildings by recalling their former presence. His photos are formally composed, often symmetrically balanced and so tightly cropped that they verge on abstraction.

Contents:

• Redhill Skate Rink, Queensland
• St Johns Convent, New South Wales
• Portland Cement & Lime, Portland, New South Wales
• Small Arms Factory, New South Wales
• Brisbane Fruit & Produce Market Exchange, Queensland
• The Railway Workshops, Queensland
• The Tool & Gauge Shop, Queensland
• The Wagon & Carriage Shop, Queensland
• The Spring Shop, Queensland
• The Spring Shop, Queensland
• The K-Mill, Queensland
• The Tarpaulin Shop, Queensland
• The Old Brisbane Tram Shed, Queensland
• Glenreagh Station, New South Wales
• The Power House, Queensland
• Energy Brix, Melbourne, Victoria
• Wangi Wangi Power Station, New South Wales
• Madken Foundry, Brisbane, Queensland
• The Brickworks, Queensland
• The Flour Mill, Queensland
• Abattoris, New South Wales
• The Maltings, Queensland
• The Country Theatre, Queensland
• Torrens Quarantine, South Australia
• Residential Buildings

Matt Bushell
Published March 2022
Paperback
240 pages, 249 colour illustrations
229mm x 279mm
ISBN 9780764362835