Antique bookshop changing management

THE claustrophobic yet eye-catching confines of Sothis Books and Sartorial on Sturt Street are about to become a bit less cluttered under new management.

The antique bookshop will soon change hands with the departure of current store runner Christine Crawshaw.

Having operated the store throughout the pandemic, Ms Crawshaw is stepping down from the role to spend more time with her family.

Although thankful to be getting a break, she said managing the store helped preserve her mental health throughout the lockdowns of the past two years.

“It’s always been great just coming in here and going through the thousands of books, some of which haven’t been moved for roughly 20 years,” she said.

“It was not a money-making exercise but it did maintain my sanity.”

Ms Crawshaw will be leaving the shop at the end of March, and said she hopes she has left her mark on the decades-old store.

“It’s always been just a bookshop, so I added the sartorial element, bringing in all the clothes and bags,” she said.

“But then I also started bringing in local artists in here, and doing some consignment, selling people’s stuff in here.

“I thought let’s just do everything that we possibly can to keep it alive.”

Ms Crawshaw said she holds a fond nostalgia for the store, having spent hours exploring its nooks and crannies in her youth, under the “intimidating” presence of original owner Alex Szetey.

When she was offered the store, she jumped at the chance, and relished in exploring the history of the store and its place within the Ballaarat Mechanic’s Institute.

“When I first got the place, I climbed up into the corners, there were literally books with Alex’s signature in them and the dust of over 20 years still on them,” she said.

“Just arranging everything, and feeling the spines and absorbing myself in this place that I’d spent so much time in, I loved it so much.”

With a new owner set to take over the space, and rebrand and refocus the store, Ms Crawshaw said she looks forward to visiting as a customer once again, and hopes it will continue to hold its place as the “heart of Ballarat.”

She’s also excited to unwind, spend more time with her children and grandchildren, and finally get around to decluttering her house.

“My house does look exactly like the shop, with books everywhere and stuff all over the place so it needs some serious attention,” she said.

“Now, I think I’ll finally have the time, not that I was ever complaining.”