A black box flight recorder, runway lighting, and departure signs are just some of the rare pieces now up for auction in Australia’s biggest airport charity sale.
The Brisbane Airport Lost Property Auction 2025 is now live, with 807 unique items going under the hammer to raise money for a good cause.
The collection includes both unclaimed lost property and aviation memorabilia, released to mark the airport’s 100th anniversary this year and 30 years since the international terminal opened.
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Many of the lost items had been held for months, but despite efforts to return them, they were never claimed.
“If people can show proof of purchase, location and date, we’ll work with them to get it back. We don’t want to keep these items,” Media and Corporate Affairs Manager Peter Doherty said
“But if we can’t return them, it makes sense to sell them off and donate the money to Queensland children’s charities.”
The aviation pieces were contributed by Aviation Australia, including a vintage Ansett lifejacket, airport signage and a flight recorder, the so called black box.
“Obviously it’s not black, it’s bright orange and that’s because they want to find it when there’s a crash,” Doherty said.
“But really this is an incredible, this was invented in Australia. What a piece, what an item to put on your desk at home. An incredible piece of Australian aviation.”
Also listed are hundreds of items left behind by the 24 million passengers who passed through the airport in the past 12 months.
From laptops and scooters to drones and designer handbags, there’s something for everyone — including shock absorbers and a printer, somehow left behind, and even walking frames and children’s buggies rolled into the auction.
“It just goes to show the range of items in this auction. It’s quite bizarre,” Doherty said.
The standout find is a Bulgari 18k gold diamond necklace valued at $11,000.
“The other day they were putting the items of jewelry together — cheap jewellery, maybe left in bathrooms — and in the middle of it all they found this Bulgari diamond gold necklace. Now it is valued at $11,000. It is real,” Doherty said.
Also up for grabs are a behind-the-scenes tour of Brisbane Airport, 12 months of free parking, and exclusive items donated by the Brisbane Lions and Brisbane Roar.
Every item has a $1 starting bid, and the airport hopes to raise $100,000, following $90,000 raised last year for organisations.
The auction is live now and closes November 2, hosted by Lloyds Auctioneers & Valuers.
Bids can be placed at bne.com.au/auction.
