The Barwon Booksellers

In order of appearance...

Peter Downie has been involved with books, collecting and dealing for 25 years now. He started wearing out his shoe leather in tireless visits to the secondhand bookshops of Melbourne and wherever he happened to be. He managed McGill’s Bookshop in Melbourne and Griffiths in Geelong before he turned feral and decided to make his living selling secondhand books. Aside from books he is passionate about the Cats, Wolverhampton Wanderers, terrier dogs, PG Wodehouse and wine!

Anne Downie became infected with Peter’s passion for book collecting early on and joined him in his quest, absorbing an intimate knowledge of secondhand bookshops. She has worked as a trade book representative and has been with Barwon Booksellers as it progressed from tiny shop to large, but is usually to be found in the little church at Queenscliff.

Ian Murray began at Barwon Booksellers in 1994 and after a four year hiatus is back doing what he enjoys best. He is passionate about the Cats, decent literature and his children.

Gregory Day lives, writes and sings down the coast.  Once a week he breaks his otherwise carefree larrikin existence to contribute the to general merriment at Barwon Booksellers here in Geelong.  Greg is the author of the novels The Patron Saint of Eels, and Ron McCoy's Sea of Diamonds. 

Andrea Mayes is a local author with a lyrical accent that belies her Lancashire roots, despite living in Australia for over 20 years.  She can be found in the James Street shop one day a week, expressing her joy at working with such 'treasure' as the books she finds here.  Her novels are The Rose Notes (recently selected as a VCE Literature text) and Shearwater.

David Hoskins was born in London and migrated to Australia in 1973. After nearly 30 years working for Ford as an Engineer at Product Development in Geelong, he joined Barwon Booksellers in 2001 and now works intermittently in our Queenscliff shop. David’s literary interests include motoring, aircraft, railways, shipping, science fiction, engineering, astronomy, and cosmology, and the Hoskins’ favorite room at home is the study – surrounded by books – heaven! David’s interests include sailing and cars, and he edits the monthly Geelong MG Car Club magazine.

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