Closed in 1984, the Mt Barker Junction Station now sits abandoned – a brick building built in 1943 with a 120 metre-long platform.
As the station’s name suggests, to the east of the station there was a junction: the eastern fork continued on to Melbourne; the southern fork went to Victor Harbor.
Wow!! Was I blessed by the urbex Gods Friday night or what?!?
Sure, it was dirty, had a history of substance abuse, and had been defiled by many a spray can, but this place had real urbexing mystique.
The Gallerie comprises 5 floors and 3 separately linked buildings. It’s size is almost overwhelming. You’ll need no less than 2 hours to traverse this abandoned complex.
The sound of each footstep ricochets off the bare walls and back at you as you explore the various floors, some completely gutted, a few revealing remnants of their former glory days, such as the faint stencil of ‘Do-nuts’ on the ground level’s glass frontage or the large rectangular holes in the floors where the 5 story escalator once carried shoppers.
We crack open one of the many ground floor exits and the moonlight bursts down into the alley, littered with graffiti and remnants of pallets that have literally become part of the furniture – signalling we have come to the end of our journey.
Every time I go back here there is always something new to see in the Cat Warehouse. Fresh art probably only days old. This place is huge! Certainly an awesome urbexing location.
