Urban exploration is one of my favourite pastimes when I have a camera in hand, and on a recent trip to NSW, I ticked a few more locations off my list. On day one of our Sapphire Coast road trip, we flew into Sydney and then drove down to Eden. As it was only a slight detour, we factored in a route that took us past the Loftus Tram Sheds, O’Neills Amusement Park, and St. Johns Orphanage For Boys.

O’Neills Amusement Park

Our first stop was O’Neills in Edmonson Park. Even though this is private property, entry wasn’t tricky. The gate was wide open, and an old sign clearly said ‘Open’, so we accepted the invitation and wandered in. Littered around the expansive grounds are an old dodgem car ride, swings, funhouse, ghost train, old vehicles and lots of beautiful decay.

Loftus Tram Sheds

Hidden out in the bush in Royal National Park is the Loftus Tram Sheds. Again entry wasn’t a problem with the door behind the tow truck wide open. Inside are several old trams, a couple of buses, and even an old cable car—all heavily vandalised. There were holes in the roof everywhere, and the sun was coming through, creating magical light in pinpoints and shafts.

Security was non-existent, and the only other people we saw were two photographers heading in as we headed out.

Footnote: Loftus Tramsheds was destroyed by fire in Oct 2015

St Johns Boys Orphanage, Goulburn

Our last stop for the day was the boys’ home in Mundy St,  Goulburn. The building sits on the hill overlooking Goulburn and would have been beautiful back when it was a functioning orphanage, but now, like all other sites, the windows are smashed, and the walls are covered in graffiti and tags.

Again entry was straightforward, right up the path and in the open (missing) door. There is no security, and we saw no one during the hour we spent rambling around.

The orphanage had 2000 boys pass through its doors between 1912 and when it closed in 1978. There has been talk of turning it into apartments, but that’s going to be some task in its heavily derelict state.

Footnote: St Johns was destroyed by fire in Nov 2016