Torquay Books celebrates 20 years

TORQUAY Books plans to mark its 20th year in business with a celebratory day this Sunday.

Special deals will be on offer, along with displays and the opportunity to catch up with many of the staff who have worked in the bookstore over the years.

Both present owner Lynne Main and Rosemary Featherston, who started the business, are proud it has become a vibrant community asset under their guidance.

Torquay Books got its start in what had been a dress shop near the IGA supermarket in Gilbert St.

Rosemary had been a partner in a Lygon St. Carlton bookshop before working for several booksellers around Melbourne’s beachside suburbs.

A decision to start her own bookshop began a two-year hunt throughout Victoria before daughter Amelia, visiting a friend in Torquay, phoned to say: “Mum, there’s no bookshop in Torquay.”

Rosemary and husband Ed came down from Melbourne to look for a suitable premises and discovered by accident that the dress shop business was for sale.

With the support of Amelia, who became a key staff member, and son Joshua, Torquay Books opened after Easter in 2004.

Gayle Tucker from Ocean Grove and Brooke Davis from Bellbrae were the first staff members.

Brooke’s first novel, Lost And Found, was launched by Torquay Books to critical acclaim.

Although Brooke has moved to Western Australia and is now nearing completion of her second novel, she is often back in Torquay and occasionally works at Torquay Books.

What Rosemary and Ed had expected to be a “five-year retirement plan” became a 15-year odyssey.

Promotion of authors continues as a priority, along with book-signing events.

The first in-residence event held in the bookshop was with author-illustrator Bob Graham, who gave a workshop to five pre-school children.

Renowned authors who have had events with Torquay Books include international and national celebrities Michael Palin, Jodie Picoult, Alex Miller, Tim Winton, Di Morrissey, Liz Byrski, Ray Martin, William McInnes and Shuan Micallif.

Rosemary is humbled by the fact Torquay Books was twice named Australia’s Regional Bookshop of the Year.

The shop was also short-listed for a number of national book industry awards.

In 2014 an opportunity came up to relocate to larger premises across Gilbert St in 2016, and in the interim Rosemary began the Torquay Toys business, which was later sold.

Rosemary retired in 2018, selling to Lynne Main from Ringwood North, who retained the staff, including Carol Novacevski, the shop’s longest serving employee.

Lynne said that in the early days she really didn’t know what to expect and it was an amazing challenge getting to know how everything worked, but it was a leap of faith and she was helped by her knowledgeable staff.

Her computer skills from her 10 years at Vermont South Special School, where she rose from an administrative assistant role to business manager, were invaluable with on-line sales during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

“We were ordered to lock our door,” Lynne said.

“We had two phones, plus an EFTPOS card reader in the window so customers could order then swipe to pay before we passed their books out to them.

“It was like something out of a spy book.

“I would spend 10 minutes every day after work plotting a delivery route so that over the next hour I could sneak up to their front door without speaking to anyone.

“It was worth it because we felt we were helping people to get through the ridiculous Covid restrictions.”

Lynne said she was looking for a change and had a holiday home in Torquay when she acquired Torquay Books.

“I was not interested in having a bookshop … I felt coming down here and having a shop, a café or something was a good way to get to know the community.

“By chance I saw an ad offering the bookshop for sale and it was a very, very fortunate discovery.

“I had so much help from Rosemary and Ed and the loyal staff from the very start.”

Lynne now has a staff of 10, all casuals by choice, and says no-one wants to leave.

Gill Hutchison, author of the recent book, Surf Life – Women Who Live to Surf and Create, was one of the first staff she hired and is still there.

“We see ourselves as a one-stop shop where you buy all your presents, get them wrapped and buy cards to go with them,” Lynne said.

“There’s something to interest everyone – kids, teens, adults.

“Without the support of the community the shop would not be as successful as it is.”

The shop supported all local authors however it could, she said.

“We recently had our front window painted by Michelle Conn, of Torquay, whose first book she illustrated, Raised By Moths, was shortlisted by the CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia).

“We promote Favel Parrett’s three fiction books and her two children’s books, Brooke Davis’s Lost And Found, and her brother Brett’s book Hovering.

“We are also promoting three Torquay authors who went live-stream from the shop with their books.

“They are Renee Treml, who did readings and children’s story time sessions, but who has moved to Western Australia; Kaye Baillie, whose book When the Waterhole Dries Up was also shortlisted by CBCA; and Stef Gemmill, who wrote A Home for Luna.”

Lynne summed up the Torquay Books philosophy as “really fun and a good place for people to make connections”.