Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Abandoned

by in Black and White and tagged ,

My grandparents brought up my father and many uncles and aunts in this house. These photographs were taken in 1978, long after my grandparents had passed away. The house no longer exists. It is with a twinge of sadness I report that this house was abandoned. The house was situated at Port Albert in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.port albert 6port albert 4

5 thoughts on “Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Abandoned”

  1. Oh how much I loved that house. Even though it only had four rooms, it seemed spacious, alive with activity and people. The view of the Prom out the front, Snake Island, the channel full of fish. The water tank by the back door and some ancient Russian garlics growing in the weedy yard. Cocky, the angry pet cockatoo,who walked about as if he owned the place, our grandmother who took to her bed to read or knit, our boat building grandfather who taught fishing knots and pom -pom making to us, his eyes glinting cheekily in the dimly lit main room. A table full of fresh fish, flounder, gars,whiting, maybe some potatoes,all fried in lard, white bread and not much else. Just lovely.
    This house was a heritage building, the first Customs House in Victoria I believe, built in the 1830s. Abandoned and then vandalised, it was then demolished. I had a brick from that chimney, taken as a piece of treasure from the site. It was a handmade convict brick initialled with a thumb print. I set it into a new fireplace, modelled on that fireplace. My fireplace still stands, despite the events that surrounded it in 2009.
    My father, although poor, was fortunate to grow up in that house.
    Thanks Mick for evoking so much nostalgia in me this evening. Pass the wine please.

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    • Thanks Francesca for putting words where I could not. I was too young to share your experiences but every time I am on the water, I feel it’s a natural place for me to be. A legacy from my fisherman grandfather. The older I become, the stronger I feel about heritage and roots and connection with older times, which in reality, were not that long ago. These photographs, while not the best quality, mean a lot to me. Cheers!

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  3. Pingback: Sunday Stills, the next challenge: On the Water | Mick's Cogs

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