Remnants of Abandonment

St. John's Boys Orphanage, abandoned in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1978, once was a refuge for children left behind. Rumoured to have paranormal activity, St. John's has become a recluse for teens and adults: an O.H.& S nightmare to property developers. Still earmarked for some possible redevelopment, she sits waiting with open arms as a place of illegal dumping, graffiti, parties, and photographers looking to make sense of this place. As an eerie backdrop, the blood-like morbid messages and dried pigeon faeces showcase the visits of its present unofficial keepers. As a visual motif of sentimental value, I used a found stuffed doll as a testament to the children's past.