83 Lang Parade Auchenflower in Brisbane is as empty and as sadly neglected as the 2 homes, numbers 81 and 85. The one big difference between this home and the other homes positioned on either side is that number 83 is much older. According to the real estate site called onehome.com.au this house was built around 1900. My estimation guess is that the other 2 homes were built in the 1930's, 1940's or the 1950's.
The design, the bricks and the beautiful old brick chimney give this old house class. According to the real estate site this house was sold in 2019 for $1.45 million. I am thinking it has been empty ever since. Unfortunately it has not made it onto the Heritage list so it means it can be pulled down to make way for modern day concrete building. Or maybe it is a decision yet to be made.
Personally I think it is a shame that the house like the other 2 homes are not rented out for people to live in given they have been empty for 3 years so far.
If only the walls could tell me the story of the family or families who have lived here, I am sure the trains on the railway line would not have been as noisy as the modern day diesel trains. Maybe the railway line was built well after the house was built and I would understand why the house would be left vacant.
Little architectural details such as the flourishing swirls on the front end of the house add to its graceful design. The TV antenna at the rear however does not look so glam, modern day television watching comes with a few disadvantages.
Check out this beautiful chimney. I would have loved to explore inside the fire place but the front and back were locked up tighter than the Bank of England. Not only did the house front onto a very busy road and footpath my little forage break in would surely have attracted too much attention. What a bummer!
I can assure you I would not have minded climbing over a brick wall like the guru of Urban Exploration @slobberchops but sadly there was no 6 foot wall, only a little front fence and gate and every Tom, Dick and Harry would have seen me.
Check out the air conditioning units, like number 85, they are relatively modern units and my guess still work.
But no, it was a tat too high as well for me to climb into as well as far too small even for me at 5 feet 2 inches to stand up in. I would have to crawl on my hands and knees and definitely a big turn off. I did not come prepared with gloves and I was not wanting to meet any little creatures like spiders or snakes.
I am an amateur urban explorer in every way.
Anyway I could see everything I needed to see at the entry point, even the air conditioning unit that looked a tad incongruous compared to the rest of the dissolved rubbishing mess. I did wonder how many young kids spent time here as a meeting place. I am thinking drinking and smoking. Or perhaps I am being too harsh and suspicious
The garage although relatively clean and empty given how long this home has been empty did make me think that perhaps some people, homeless or otherwise have used it for shelter. I am sure the dirty old mattress has proved to be useful for a person or two and I have to say the empty drink container is ample evidence that this garage is visited.
The gods are against me as the back of the house was locked as well so a no go inside even to check out concrete washing tubs.
Interestingly there was no clothes line or garage in this yard. But, the big concrete wall of the new modern medical specialist building looms over the his house and the other two, a grim message of what is to come.
Given that the railway line is approximately 20 metres away from the unkempt overgrown grass backyard of the house I am not sure who would want to rent this home. I know I definitely would not unless it had triple glaze windows.
Even though I am very disinclined to live here now, there are still so many happy memories around this old home built in another era, where the noise of happy playing children, adult conversation, laughter, music and parties filled this now empty neglected section of Lang Parade Auchenflower.
As I stand and look at this front part of the garden I wonder why this protective net was placed here to protect by a caring conscientious gardener. Tried as I might I cannot figure what plant needed looking after and why. But on the other hand it is heartening to see how hardy flowers are to keep flowering without a nurturing gardener.
I could not resist taking a photo of one of the decorative artistic doors leading out from the house to the yard. It looks like leadlight to me. Maybe there was a pretty garden here once upon a time How wonderful it would be to see this house in its hay day in the early 1900s.
I finish my little urban exploration of this grand old house. I only wished I could have ventured inside to see the wooden floors, the six bedrooms, two bathrooms, old worldly decorative ceilings, walls and doors. The 1900s was another magical world altogether, a world that no longer exists or wanted in 2022.
