If you have ever left something on a train, there is a good chance it has ended up in Metro’s lost property department. 

George Panoussis, Station Master Flinders Street says there’s almost 1,500 items lost on Metro’s trains each month.  

Usually it’s things like mobile phones, wallets and purses, but sometimes the items that are handed in are a bit more interesting. 

In June last year, staff at Flinders Street Station were handed a wheelie bag with an unusual occupant – a ceramic bust of Michael Jackson. 

George said it really baffled the staff when it came rolling in.  

“We get some weird and wonderful items through these doors, but this one’s got to take the cake,” he said.  

To this day the ‘King of Pop’ remains unclaimed in his wheelie bag and has become a permanent feature of the lost property office at Flinders Street. 

Over the years, the storeroom on Platform 1 has been home to tens of thousands of items, including mannequins, musical instruments, and even sets of golf clubs. 

The team are currently holding over 1,000 items in the office, including 62 mobile phones, 89 wallets and 40 cardholders. 

Along with MJ, a large speaker system, a cheeseboard with knife set and a large photograph of a family matriarch from a recent reunion are among the more unusual occupants. 

Metro holds items for 60 days, giving owners time to reclaim them, but if they are still there after that timeframe and have some potential value, they get donated to charities including the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. 

Before the pandemic, there were about 2,000 items lost every month, and they all went through the Flinders Street Station lost property office.  

In mid-2020 Metro changed the way it’s handled to make it easier for passengers, with all lost items now held at staffed stations nearest to where the item was found.  

“There’s no better feeling than handing something precious over to someone and seeing how grateful they are,” George said. 

“If you do happen to leave something on a train, make a note of where the train was heading to, and alert Metro staff immediately.”