Giving Old Treasures New Life
Located at the top end of Ryrie Street, you will find the iconic Moorabool Antiques, the last remaining antique store in Geelong. The building itself gives off an air of historic grace, and housed within its walls are wares and classic pieces from all over the world, from all eras of time, making you feel as though you’ve stepped into the past the moment you walk through the door.
As you enter, you can feel the energy of every piece, and its original owners, giving you a feeling of both nostalgia and intrigue at the same time.
Recently we sat down with owners Paul and Glenys, to chat about their incredible generational business, and what it’s like to be immersed in the world of antiques and collectables.
Moorabool Antiques was originally founded by Paul’s father, John Rosenberg. John grew up as an antique enthusiast, and as Paul described, was always known as an odd child who loved to collect old things. At a very early age he began buying and selling all of the things he had collected. His passion grew and eventually he became a 50/50 partner in an established antique shop in Pakington Street, Geelong.
In the early 1950’s he bought out the entire shop to become sole owner, and ran this with his wife. Paul’s mother Lorraine, was also an avid collector and had a very large ceramics collection, which grew over the years to include a huge library of over 2000 books on ceramics.
In 1958, John opened up a new store, which we now know as Moorabool Antiques. The store was originally located in Moorabool Street, hence the name, and operated there for many years before relocating to Ryrie Street.
After chatting with Paul you can clearly see that he has most certainly inherited his fathers passion for antiques. He happily shared how he was born into the industry, attending his first auction at just 3 months of age. And, as he grew up, spent all of his holidays in his fathers shop and at antique fairs.
He attended university, studying Archaeology and Art History, and after graduating, travelled to London and studied with the well-known and prestigious Christie’s Auction House. There he had the opportunity to learn many skills that very few others have the opportunity to learn, gaining exceptional credentials in the art of appraisal and developing a very discerning eye. Rather than remaining overseas, he made the decision to bring these attributes home to work within the family business.
With so many years of invaluable experience behind him, Paul prides himself on his appraisal techniques and in remaining genuine, ensuring he operates with strict integrity, providing a service to his customers and clients all over the world that is based on a foundation
of honesty and credibility.
As you wander through the store, both upstairs and downstairs, it’s impossible to estimate how many pieces there are, but Paul and Glenys believe it’s in the vicinity of 10,000 or more.
Their stock is a combination of consignment from customers, as well as what they have collected over time. There is an insurmountable volume of pieces and collections originating from all historical time periods, some things dating back as far as 500 million years ago.
More than just a shopfront, Moorabool Antiques also operates as an auction house, both in person and online, extending their reach and expanding the opportunity for customers all over the world to be able to source the items they are looking for and add to their own collections.
At any given online auction there can be up to 500 people, from over 60 countries worldwide, viewing and bidding on the items, most of whom are avid collectors, but also some who are simply curious about the world of antiquing.
When chatting with Paul and Glenys, something they really want to drive home is the breaking of the stigma around antiques and the industry as a whole, which is fast becoming a lost art in an ever changing, fast paced society. There is so much joy in repurposing and salvaging the old, and giving it a new lease on life, with most of us not even really aware just how inexpensive and affordable vintage, antique pieces can be, with prices beginning as low as $5.
It is a treasure trove of incredible wares just waiting to be discovered. So whether you are wanting to browse for yourself, pick up a unique gift for a loved one, or even perhaps have some pieces you would like appraised for selling, a visit to Moorabool Antiques is an absolute must.
Open Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm and closed Sunday/Monday.
P 5229 2970
16 – 18 Ryrie Street, Geelong
moorabool@gmail.com
