Inmate-built house finds new life beyond Junee as bridge works advance

A SMALL demountable home standing in the path of construction for Junee’s new Kemp Street bridge has been carefully removed, marking another quiet milestone in Inland Rail’s mega project.

Built by inmates at Junee Correctional Centre more than a decade ago, the modest 80-square-metre, one-bedroom dwelling — which stood on the corner of Kemp and Ducker Streets for more than 12 years — was lifted from its foundations this week and trucked out of town.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Junee Shire Council listed the home for sale earlier this year with a reserve price of $15,000, stipulating that it could not be relocated within the township and must be removed by October 1, 2025.

That deadline was extended by a month for Wagga house-relocation contractor Max Kavanagh, who purchased the property to resell.

Speaking with The Junee Bulletin on site as the final section was winched onto a truck on Wednesday morning, Mr Kavanagh said the house would live on with new purpose in Leeton.

“A family in Leeton has bought the home to place in their backyard as a granny flat for their parents to live in for the rest of their days, so it’s going to good use,” he said.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

The removal was completed over two days, with crews splitting the prefabricated home in half for transport.

“We were meant to have both halves out on Tuesday, but one section had solar panels we had to strap down tight before moving,” Mr Kavanagh said.

“It took a few extra hours, but we got there in the end.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

He said the home would be stored in his Wagga yard while permits were finalised for its final trip to Leeton.

“We’ll take it home and sit it together temporarily until the paperwork comes through,” he explained.

“We’ll give it a fresh coat of paint inside and out, put the veranda back on, and then the new owners can make it their own.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

“We usually move a couple of homes a week, mostly new builds, but I bought this one to resell because it’s solid and has potential. It’s been built well and it travelled really nicely — they did a good job of it when they built it.”

The relocation clears the way for a wider intersection and turning lanes to improve traffic flow and safety on the eastern approach to the new bridge.

A second house on the adjacent corner of Kemp, George and Ducker Streets is also slated for demolition.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

This house on the adjacent corner of Kemp, George and Ducker Streets is also slated for demolition | Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

This house on the adjacent corner of Kemp, George and Ducker Streets is also slated for demolition | Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Detailed design showing what the new Kemp-Ducker Street intersection will look like | Source: Supplied/Inland Rail

A HOME WITH A STORY

The modest dwelling carries a remarkable history.

It was one of two homes built inside Junee Correctional Centre in 2011–13 under the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) program — an Australian-first partnership between the not-for-profit housing organisation, Riverina TAFE and the correctional centre.

Constructed by inmates studying for their Certificate II in Building and Construction, the homes were gifted to two Riverina families in need.

One of them was Junee couple Pat and Helen McDermott, who lost their uninsured Ducker Street home to fire.

The Junee Fire Brigade led fundraising efforts, raising more than $10,000 for materials while inmates provided the labour and craftsmanship.

One half of the Ducker Street home pictured leaving the Junee Correctional Centre in 2013 | Photo: ABC News

The house — designed to split into two prefabricated halves — was delivered by truck from the prison to its permanent lot in February 2013.

Final touches, including a front veranda, were added on site before the McDermotts moved in.

The demountable dwelling was transported to its Ducker Street lot in 2013 | Photo: Junee Southern Cross

Trevor Coles, then Offender Services Manager at Junee Correctional Centre, described the program at the time as transformative.

“It’s not just about repaying their debt to society — they can do something extra by building this house,” he told ABC News in 2013.

The initiative gave inmates practical trade qualifications, work ethic and a sense of purpose, while giving families in crisis a new start.

And now, more than a decade later, that same home will continue to live on — providing shelter and meaning once again, just as it did when it first left the prison gates.

BRIDGE WORKS

The removal of the Ducker Street home comes a month after the dramatic demolition of the 80-year-old Kemp Street bridge, which was dismantled in a three-day operation involving roughly 100 tonnes of steel and 375 tonnes of concrete.

Photo: Supplied/Inland Rail

Photo: Supplied/Inland Rail

More than 200 workers were on site during the September works, as six bridge spans and five trestles were carefully removed.

WATCH: Kemp Street bridge demolition

The new overpass, once complete, will stand taller and wider, enabling double-stacked freight trains to pass safely below as part of the Inland Rail’s Melbourne-to-Brisbane corridor.

Detailed design showing what the new Kemp Street bridge will look like | Source: Supplied/Inland Rail

While activity on site has eased since the bridge’s removal, lighter preparatory works continue as crews ready the ground for construction of the new structure and its adjoining road approaches.

The Junee Bulletin will continue to follow progress on the Kemp Street bridge replacement and associated road upgrades in the months ahead.