Abbey’s Bookshop

Eve and Ron Abbey started their eponymous bookshop during in the late ’60s. And today, it’s still one of the CBD’s most essential retailers.

During this time the staff has noticed that Australians have gotten over the cultural cringe, and we’re increasingly seeking out locally written work. And it’s just as well. Abbey’s is a hub for notable Australian authors, who’ve been known to drop off a signed hardback or two.

Crime and history are speciality genres here, and there’s a strong focus on Indigenous Australian writing. Otherwise the selection at Abbey’s is as well-rounded as it is impressive, thanks to the veteran buyers on staff.

Abbey’s sits right next door to the Queen Victoria Building on the same side as Red Eye Records. That’s three long-standing cultural institutions inside of 50 metres, right in the heart of the CBD.