Inside the Charlemont ‘spooky house’ gutted by vandals

From pristine to perilous: A once-impressive Charlemont mansion is now a vandalised shell, fuelling fears among new homeowners as thefts and break-ins plague the area. See the before and after.

Council has been forced to intervene as a derelict, squatter-infested mansion sitting across from a new Charlemont estate has residents on edge, with thieves and vandals using the property as a base.

Referred to by local children as “the spooky house”, the large, two-storey brick mansion has been gutted by vandals, with the structure covered in graffiti, filled with mouldy toys, and a trail of what appears to be blood running through its second floor. There are other abandoned properties nearby, which are also sites of destruction and anti-social behaviour.

The derelict house on Batten Rd, Charlemont, opposite new homes. Picture: Alison Wynd

Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser, young mum Ruby Honey says her car was ransacked by vandals just three days after she moved in to a new build across the road from the dilapidated home on Batten Rd.

Red splatters inside the derelict house on Batten Rd, Charlemont. Picture: Alison Wynd

Vandals have destroyed at least three homes on the west side of Batten Road. Picture: Alison Wynd

“They took my handbag, passport, garage door remote and my kid’s birth certificate,” she said.

“Now whenever I hear sounds at night, I know it’s that house,” she added.

Just two weeks later, Ms Honey says she came home from a friend’s house about 11pm to find 20 teenagers running from the derelict house.

Tags adorn every corner of the property. Picture: Alison Wynd

“It just makes you feel so unsafe,” she said.

Speaking anonymously, another resident said young vandals were constantly “running amok” across all three of the vacant properties on the west side of Batten Rd.

“It’s causing so many issues, I had a vase smashed against my front door, and I’ve heard about the mum who had her car broken into,” she said.

“As someone with a five-year-old boy, it’s quite scary.”

Neighbours say young people often gather in large numbers in the home, with squatters taking up residence in them earlier in the year. Picture: Alison Wynd

Another resident said they had witnessed multiple attempts by vandals to light the property on fire. The home’s second floor has charred walls and piles of ash.

The house sits opposite a block of new builds. Picture: Alison Wynd

Photos from realestate.com reveal that the house was in pristine condition just six years ago, with recent photos taken by the Geelong Advertiser laying bare the extent of the destruction wreaked by squatters and vandals.

The issues at the site comes as a spate of car thefts continue to be reported across the Armstrong Creek and Charlemont area.

Taking to the Armstrong Creek Facebook page on Wednesday, resident Chris Halesworth shared CCTV of someone taking off with thousands of dollars worth of tools from his father’s vehicle.

In a separate incident reported by Armstrong Creek Neighbourhood Watch ten days earlier, home invaders took off with an Audi and a Mitsubishi Outlander at 3.15am at a property in the Glenlee estate just up the road from Batten Rd.

City of Greater Geelong placemaking director Tennille Bradley told the Geelong Advertiser council was actively investigating multiple abandoned properties in the area.

“Our municipal building surveyor has issued a building order for the Batten Rd property, which requires the owner to secure the building and restrict access within the dwelling”.

“A building notice has also been issued, advising the owner to show cause for why the building should not be demolished,” he added.

Originally published as Inside the Charlemont ‘spooky house’ gutted by vandals