Your Treasure Hunt Awaits: Maryborough’s Second-Hand Secrets

If your idea of retail therapy includes digging for diamonds in the rough, Maryborough’s antique stores and op shops will be your new favourite haunt. With 12 op shops and three antique stores drawing on almost 200 years of pre-loved possessions – often rare or unique – Maryborough has become a mecca for antique lovers, cosplay fans and bargain-hunters.

The op shops have everything from glamorous and everyday pre-worn clothing to charming homewares, mixes of vintage finds and everyday bargains. Whether you’re searching for a unique outfit, a quirky lamp, or a book with a history of its own, there’s something for everyone. The Visitor’s Information Centre usually has an up-to-date list of the op shops.

‘Another Life Antiques’ on the corner of Bazaar and Kent offers a stunning selection of vintage jewellery, trinkets, and collectables – perfect for adding character to your home or wardrobe. (It is also linked to the popular Winter Auctions – check the dates for the regular auctions in Alice Street and have fun bidding for chattels, antiques, coins and stamp collections; vehicle, rural, domestic and commercial clearances are also held.)

A little further down at 327 Kent Street you will find ‘Mrs Banks Antiques’ in the courtyard beside elaborate Woodstock House, open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm.

‘Lily’s Antiques’ in Ann Street is brimming with timeless furniture pieces and décor that harken back to Maryborough’s rich heritage. On the corner of Fort and Alice Streets, it’s open Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 2pm.

‘Number 17 Bookshop’ in the former embassy Theatre in Ellena Street  is also worth a browse: a music curio section with LPs and DVDs, local produce, Fraser Coast publications, signed editions, classics and unusual books nestle in nooks among casual lounge areas and table arranged to enjoy coffee and cake. It’s open 10am to 2pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Sundays and other days for events or by appointment.

Spend a leisurely afternoon browsing, and you might just stumble across a story to go with your latest find—perhaps a chair from an old Maryborough homestead or a necklace that once adorned a socialite.