By Helena Klijn, Bulletin 07/2026 September
The Walks team was recently given the excellent suggestion (hat-tip to Ted and Ali McKeown) to visit the exceptional Caroline Simpson Library Collection at The Mint in Macquarie Street. A preliminary visit revealed a compact but fascinating collection including furnishings, wallpapers, light fixtures, sample books and many other insights into Australia’s changing trends in décor and gardening, with some items dating back to the late 1700s. We thought a Glebe Society tour would be well-received, but the response was quite overwhelming with spots for attendees on the day and places on the waitlist filling at a brisk pace.
Curators Matthew Stephens and Steph Bailey arranged a comprehensive selection of artefacts and product catalogues from the collection and shared a delightful range of Glebe-related treasures including photos from the Lyndhurst restoration, a catalogue from Glebe foreshore timber merchants H McKenzie Limited and a weighty Grace Brothers Broadway catalogue (‘The Model Store’). We left somewhat overwhelmed by the Library’s riches and concluded the visit with a reviving round of coffee at The Mint café.
We hope to be able to arrange a repeat visit, as they say, ‘due to popular demand’ – details to follow in a future Bulletin.
Our sincere thanks to Matthew Stephens (himself a long-term Glebe resident) who so generously shared his expertise with us.
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