Abandoned Sports Clubs
Abandoned sports centres can be found in almost every city and town if you look close enough. When I was in Australia, I focused specifically on finding them and not long after, I’d photographed an abandoned bowling club, golf course, horseriding stables, and a football club.
They might not be the most historic of sites to photograph and document, but they are fun all the same and security is usually quite low.
The Abandoned Space Roller Rink in Chiang Mai, Thailand
After being in Chiang Mai for less than 24 hours, I found myself standing inside an eerie relic of the past – an abandoned roller-skating rink that has been decaying for over two decades. Space Roller Extreme Sport & Techno Games was a popular attraction for Thai families and teenagers, but it closed down after the Asian financial crisis hit the region hard in the 1990s. Now, the building is barely recognisable, with only the Space Roller sign and the crumbling rink hinting at its former glory. The interior is completely destroyed by the roof that’s caved in and there’s heaps of rubbish and (pretty bad) graffiti. Most of the rooms are pitch black and some of them are inhabited by Thai homeless people. Access was easy and straightforward, as there were no guards, fences, or no trespassing signs. I’m always thankful for abandoned sites where access is easy – it really cuts down the time you have to spend there, and you get to save your adrenaline for inside! Not a bad start to kick off the AWP Thailand urbex series! Enjoy the photography gallery below and don’t forget to follow Abandoned World Photography for regular urbex updates on
Abandoned Glen Iris Golf Course, Perth, WA
The abandoned Glen Iris Golf Course has been subject to much public outcry after news of huge development plans broke last year. According to a petition page, “the golf course is the home to not only people, families who love their homes, but of cockatoos, parrots, 28’s, ducks and swans. It is also home to the native Quenda which is now endangered and does not like being relocated.” After operating for 60 years as one of the most popular golf courses in Western Australia, local residents received a flyer through their letterboxes in March 2020 alerting them to the imminent sale of the course to WA-based development firm EastCourt Property Group. The group plans on building “premium housing” on the 25-hectare site. The settlement was said to be worth $30 million. As of now, the course is empty and quiet. The restaurant tables have been left set up and ready for service, and “we are closing down” leaflets are strewn about the place. The wildflowers and vegetation that the locals are worried about being destroyed are probably in the most flourished state they have ever been in, and the wild animals have over 2 acres of empty green land to
Abandoned Greenacre Riding School in Perth, WA
The Greenacre Riding School was built in the 1950s and was known by all who loved horses in Western Australia. Its owner, Vic Ferreira, was well-known and much-loved, which can be seen by his numerous awards for community involvement and achievement. Over a period of 30 years, hundreds of Australians and newcomers fell in love with Greenacre and formed strong relationships within the equine community. The ending for the Riding School came in 2008 when Ferreira was forced to close due to a spiralling public liability insurance crisis that saw his premiums rise by 350%. He died that same year. Many were devastated to hear of its closure, and lots of petitions were signed in the hope that the City of Kwinana or Mark McGowan (Premier of Western Australia) would step in and help. The historic riding school, situated in the remote bushland of Wellard, is now a sight for sore eyes. All of the walls, windows and doors of every building are smashed, the grounds are littered with rubbish and there is graffiti everywhere. It’s hard to imagine it in its glory days when it was bustling with life. Perhaps it’s this remoteness and state of disrepair that attracted
Abandoned Cooke Point Bowling Club in Port Hedland, Western Australia
I visited this abandoned bowling club in Western Australia whilst on a solo trip away from the rush of life and I loved it so much that I ended up visiting it two days in a row. It was huge, with so many rooms to explore. All the old bowling trophies were scattered everywhere on the floor, the dining tables were set and the kitchens were still stocked full of pans and pots and cooking oil. The History This abandoned bowling club and youth centre had been built in 1977. There had been a former youth centre situated on the site but it had been destroyed by Cyclone Joan in 1975. Anyone who has experienced a cyclone in WA knows how intense they can be! I myself witnessed Cyclone Damien last year (2019) and it was one of the coolest and scariest things I’ve ever seen/felt. It’s crazy when you can really feel the power of nature and how little control you have over what happens! Moving on. Back in its hey-day, the club had consisted of a two-storey building, which included a bar and function areas, dining rooms and gaming facilities. Outside, there were two tennis courts, a bowling
Abandoned Balmain Tigers League Club, Sydney, Australia
The Abandoned Balmain Tigers League Club, Sydney, Australia The Balmain Tigers League Club was built in 1957 and valued at $22 million. The building now sits abandoned, open to many squatters and is in very bad condition. In one of the dark basement rooms, there are about 7 dirty mattresses lying in a row from one end of the room to the other. The labyrinthine rooms and passages are completely covered in graffiti, walls are smashed in and rubble covers the floor everywhere. The sheer size of this place is not obvious to the outside eye. Step inside and you find yourself in a fascinating maze of offices, bars, shower rooms and secret corridors leading to different basement sections. Access into this building is very easy via the car park. For that reason, many of the rooms are taken over by squatters. However, I came across no one while I was there. Finally, I would like to ask “Fairapy” to stop the vandalism of abandoned buildings in Sydney. I went into every room of the Balmain Tigers League Club and the following “graffiti” was plastered on nearly every wall, especially in the basement: Fairapy, Facebook, and YouTube. I googled “Fairapy”
The Abandoned Dun Laoghaire Baths, Dublin, Ireland
UPDATE 2021: The Dun Laoghaire Baths have been demolished and renovation is underway: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/d%C3%BAn-laoghaire-baths-being-redeveloped-after-20-years-out-of-use-1.2151632 The Dublin based Dun Laoghaire Baths, otherwise known as Rainbow Rapids, dated back to the 1790s and used to act as a public place to swim and bathe up until 1997. It was a major hit with both locals and families from afar who would travel to Dun Laoghaire to enjoy the popular hotspot by the sea. There were different types of baths available to customers such as sea and freshwater, hot and cold baths, sulphur, seaweed and Russian and hot sea-water baths and children’s paddling pools. To me, it sounds like a pretty darn good spa!! When I lived in Ireland these baths were only a short stroll down the road, and once I found them abandoned, I always wished they were up and running. Lots of people who currently reside in the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Council area have very fond memories of the baths. Unfortunately, the site is a derelict eyesore to walk past now, but according to the Irish Times, renovation of the abandoned site is due to start in July 2018. “The project will include the retention of the existing baths building and the development
