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Inside Brisbane Airport's Lost Property Room
For many people, an airport is more than a place to catch a flight - it’s the backdrop to a moment they’ll remember for years to come. They’re places of excitement and anticipation, of reunions, farewells, celebrations and sometimes heartbreak. And when emotions are running high, it’s easy to lose track of the little things.
More than 25 million passengers travel through Brisbane Airport every year. That's around 65,000 people each day. Amidst the hustle of check-in, bag drop, security screening and getting the right gate, it is inevitable that a few valuable items sometimes accidentally get left behind.
Thankfully, not everything left behind at Brisbane Airport stays lost.
What happens to lost property at Brisbane Airport?
Behind locked doors in Brisbane Airport’s Domestic and International Terminals are two treasure troves filled with thousands of unclaimed items awaiting new owners.
From inflatable pools, surfboards, tyres and rice cookers through to laptops, cameras, jewellery and mobile phones, you can find just about everything within the lost property rooms! Don't believe us? What if we were to tell you that a prosthetic leg was once handed in to the Domestic Terminal's Visitor Information Centre? It happened.
This year we've spotted iPads, laptops, phones, luxury perfumes, gaming consoles, Dyson hairdryers, smart watches, artwork, bags, LEGO and more.
How does Brisbane Airport reunite lost property with its owners?
Reuniting lost items with owners from around the world is a daily challenge for our Airport Ambassadors - a team of 165+ volunteers who roam the Domestic and International Terminals during peak periods to provide invaluable assistance to passengers and visitors.
The Tourism Group, who manages BNE's Visitor Information Centres and the Ambassadors Program, believes lost property has the uncanny ability to make some shifts more interesting than others, and often more rewarding.
"Nothing surprises us anymore! We've had baby birds, lost toddlers, odd shoes, cremated remains, expensive suits and designer dresses all handed in."
"Our Airport Ambassadors try their utmost to reunite items with their owners and there are a lot of people grateful for our efforts and for those people who were honest enough to hand in lost goods."
Rest assured, fellow travellers - every effort is made to return lost items to their rightful owners, but around two-thirds remain unclaimed each year. It's a staggering percentage, especially considering the depth and value of the items.
Items like neck pillows, blankets and fresh food are not logged as lost property. They are kept at the Visitor Information Centre desk, and if not collected, are disposed of.
More valuable items are held at the airport for 60 days and, if still unclaimed, are then donated to charity or put aside for Lloyd Auctioneers to collect for Brisbane Airport's once-a-year online Lost Property Auction.
It's a win-win for the public because not only do we get the chance to pick up some bargains (anyone after a designer handbag?), any money raised during the auction is then donated to a worthy cause that supports the Brisbane and Queensland community.
Turning lost property into support for Queensland charities
More than $21,000 was raised for Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors in BNE's inaugural online auction in 2017. Since 2018, funds have been donated to The Courier-Mail Children's Foundation, who support children’s charities across Queensland.
In 2018, $15,000 was dispersed through The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund to the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) to support 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in completing Year 1.
In 2019, $25,000 was dispersed through The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund to Active Eight (A8), a grassroots charity based in Toowong that is dedicated to assisting young people with disabilities to activate and achieve their full social, emotional and physical potential.
The 2020 funds were dispersed through The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund to Braille House, improving literacy and quality of life for blind and vision-impaired people by transcribing, reprinting and rebinding braille books. The money from the 2020 Lost Property Auction was used to transcribe 25 books into braille for blind and vision-impaired adults and children.
The 2022 auction raised $66,000 for The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund, with the funds distributed to Zephyr Education, Speld and Traction.
The 2023 auction raised $80,000 for The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund, with donations made to Little Wings and Trek2Health’s youth program.
2024 raised a jaw-dropping $90,000 for The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund. Funds were distributed among three incredible charities, including Baby Give Back, Fair Fight Foundation (Supertee) and Cystic Fibrosis Queensland.
In 2025, the auction raised a record $160,000 for The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund. In addition to the lost items up for grabs, heritage aviation items and experiences were auctioned as Brisbane Airport celebrated its 100th birthday.
What’s up for grabs in Brisbane Airport’s 2026 Lost Property Auction?
This year’s auction has plenty to uncover, from jewellery, electronics and luxury perfumes to signed music records and items that could inspire your next hobby, including an equestrian helmet and even an outboard boat engine.
A standout inclusion is the chance to take home a piece of Brisbane aviation history. Up for auction are parts from the same Fokker Friendship aircraft that was repurposed as the centrepiece of Brisbane Airport’s plane spotting area – Fellowship Place. This is your chance to own the emergency exit and yoke.
For 2026, Brisbane Airport is partnering with the Children’s Hospital Foundation, with proceeds from the auction helping to support children in hospital and their families
Bidding opens soon via bne.com.au/auction. Happy bidding.