About Us
Berkelouw Books is Australia's largest and longest established rare and antiquarian, out-of-print, secondhand and new bookseller.
About Us | Our Stores | Our History | Employment
Our entire stock consists of over 1 million books comprising of antiquarian, out-of-print, and new titles. Many of these are available online, please go to Rare Books or New Books to browse and buy books.
Assuring you of our services at all times, we remain
Messrs Berkelouw.
Our Stores - Armadale | Berrima | Bowral Outlet Store | Eumundi | Leichhardt | Mona Vale | Newtown | Paddington | Rare Books | Rose Bay | Balgowlah |
We have several outlets throughout Australia, and one in Los Angeles. Berkelouw Books Head Office is located on the 'Bendooley' property, just outside the historic town of Berrima in the Southern Highlands of NSW.'Bendooley' is home to the Book Barn which contains over 300,000 secondhand books and a cafe. It is also home to the Rare Book Department which is the heart of Berkelouw Books.
In Sydney, retail stores offering an extensive selection of new, secondhand and rare books are located at Paddington , Leichhardt , Newtown , Rose Bay , Balgowlah and Mona Vale.
The Paddington, Leichhardt and Newtown Stores have comfortable and atmospheric cafes within them. Whilst the Rose Bay and Mona Vale Stores offer an extensive range of new books; with Mona Vale offering a good range of Art, Design and Architecture titles as well as an impressive selection of antiquarian books.
Do you have to be in New South Wales to visit Berkelouw Books? Well, we thought you shouldn't have to. Our first Melbourne store in the fashionable suburb of Armadale houses a quality range of new and antiquarian books and fine stationery. Also located in the beautiful hinterland of Queensland's Sunshine Coast is our Eumundi store with its exceptional book barn, and cosy cafe. You will find a comprehensive selection of new books, including new releases and imports that are not available from Australian publishers, over 100,000 secondhand books as well as specialty and early out-of-print titles.
Not much is known of Solomon Berkelouw, except that his bookselling career came to a sudden and unfortunate end. On a late winter's afternoon, with snow falling thickly all around, Solomon attempted to cross an icy plank that connected a customer's ship to the wharf. Halfway up, he lost his footing and fell into the freezing water. Before anyone could fetch help he was drowned, his jute-bag full of books sinking with him to the bottom of the icy harbour.
Solomon's young son Carel was determined to carry on his father's trade. He put the business on more stable footing by opening a bookstore at the Niewe Market in Rotterdam. Under Carel's direction, Berkelouw prospered, and he later moved to larger premises at Beurs Station, also in Rotterdam.
Carel's ambitious son Hartog Berkelouw continued to expand the family business. After serving an apprenticeship with his father in the Beurs Station store, he opened a new shop at Schoolstraat, Rotterdam. It was Hartog who first began issuing the catalogues that gained Berkelouw an international reputation. In 1928, the firm was granted membership to the prestigious International Antiquarian Booksellers Association. Business subsequently increased, and Hartog's children - Sientje, Leo, Carel and Isidoor - all became involved in the book trade.
However, the Second World War intervened, introducing a dark chapter into the history of the Berkelouw family. During the siege of Rotterdam, Berkelouw's premises were bombed and its stock destroyed. Amongst the lost books was a collection of antique bibles thought to be the most valuable in all of Europe. Further tragedy followed - Sientje and Carel became casualties of the war. As Leo had left the firm many years earlier, the once-thriving business was brought to a standstill, the work of four generations of Rotterdam booksellers virtually wiped out in just a few years.
Immediately after the war, Isidoor Berkelouw began to re-establish the firm. He set up business in Amsterdam and began conducting successful book auctions. However, Isidoor was keen to move the business out of Europe - the Berkelouw collection had already been destroyed once, and he did not want to see it happen again. So in 1948, Isidoor liquidated his company and made the long journey to Sydney, Australia.
In Australia
Shortly after arriving in Australia, Isidoor issued a catalogue, generating immediate interest amongst book collectors around the country. He set up shop at 38 King St, Sydney, and conducted book auctions on a regular basis. As Berkelouw's clientele and stock expanded, headquarters was relocated to 114 King St, and Isidoor began to share the management of the store with his two sons, Henry and Leo. By 1972, the Berkelouw collection had grown to such a size that it was forced to change premises once again. The firm made a brief move to Rushcutters Bay, then in 1977 took a quantum leap, relocating entirely to the 'Bendooley' property just outside the historic town of Berrima, in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
In 1994, Berkelouw Books returned to Sydney opening its now landmark shop in Paddington. Five years later another Sydney shop was opened in the cosmopolitan suburb of Leichhardt. Both metropolitan shops offer an extensive new book selection covering all interest areas, as well as a vast selection of secondhand books and a hand-picked display of rare books. The Rose Bay store opened in 2005 to service the Eastern Suburbs Peninsula. The unique Rose Bay store is home to an eclectic collection of new books and boasts a comprehensive Children's section. Berkelouw Books opened its doors to Melbourne in the fashionable suburb of Armadale. This store houses a unique selection of new and antiquarian books as well as fine stationery.
Today
Berkelouw Books is Australia's largest rare and antiquarian, out-of-print, second-hand, and new bookseller. We have an overall stock in excess of 1 million books, many of which are listed and available for purchase here on the Internet. Please go to Rare Books to browse and buy books.The long association of Berkelouw and books has continued into a sixth generation of booksellers.