Memories of Australia: Abandoned Buildings and Their Stories

AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR

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.

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.

SELLING POINTS:
• An unusual architectural history of Australia documents its neglected buildings from Brisbane to the Outback
• Over 240 striking images and backstories make this an ideal gift for everyone interested in Australia's residential and industrial past
• Buildings range from the once-important to the obscure: former convent, textile factory, rail station, power plant, skate park, crumbling abodes

249 colour illustrations

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

Author: BUSHELL, MATT
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 01/03/2022
Pages: 240
Dimension: 229mm X 279mm
Imprint: Schiffer Publishing