Laptops, tablets, phones, speakers, cameras, gaming consoles, handbags and sunglasses are among the most common items left behind in airports.
Not so common is a Bvlgari 18k gold diamond necklace valued at $11,000.
The star item at this year’s Brisbane Airport auction: A Bvlgari 18k gold diamond necklace valued at $11,000.Credit: Brisbane Airport
Yet the rare necklace, along with 800 other items, are now up for grabs at Brisbane Airport’s much-anticipated lost property auction.
Brisbane Airport holds an auction of lost items once a year, with the proceeds going to children’s charities in Queensland.
Despite efforts to reunite owners with their belongings, many items remain unclaimed well beyond the standard holding period.
“It’s always surprising and even a little bizarre to see what gets left behind by the 70,000 passengers who pass through Brisbane Airport each day,” said Brisbane Airport spokesman Peter Doherty.
Brisbane Airport spokesman Peter Doherty (left) with some of the items up for auction at the 2025 Brisbane Airport auction.Credit: Brisbane Airport
To mark the airport’s 100th year, this year’s auction also features a collection of heritage aviation items.
“With Brisbane Airport turning 100 this year, we’ve also included some special heritage aviation items we think will attract a lot of interest,” Doherty said.
“Where else can you pick up a row of airline seats, a black box, cockpit voice recorder or vintage life jackets with Ansett on them?”
Other lost items up for auction through Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers include beach cabanas, surfboards, a Nintendo Switch, tool kits, golf clubs, sewing machines, cots, prams, a collection of gold, silver and bronze bars, a portable gas fridge and shock absorbers.
