Little bit of antique England available in historic Bathurst

It was love that got Judy King into antiques.

Judy met her husband, Martin – with whom she founded King's Antiques & Collectables in Bathurst a decade ago – while living in England.

“Martin was an auctioneer and valuer in Buckinghamshire and I’m a Bathurst local, I was coming home and he followed me!” Judy said.

“We lived there for 10 years in a town called Old Amersham, a 12th century town that was in the Doomsday Book.... I was the auction manager and Martin was the auctioneer, with his gavel and his voice,” she recalls.

They then set up their British-style genuine antiques business in Australia’s oldest inland city where they sell an eclectic range of reasonably-priced one-offs.

“We sell everything from antique furniture to ceramics to fine bone China, tea wares and an entire range of interesting collectables.”

Other items include mantel clocks, long-range clocks, chaise lounges, antique dolls, tin-plate toys, antique books, gramophones and bureaus. “We’re a typical English-style antique shop,” she added.

Cheerfully admitting that she has “no idea” about how many individual items she has in store, she describes her business as “five rooms of treasures”.

“We really are a unique business in Bathurst, we are the only real antique shop here,” she said.

Judy pointed out that they vet and individually purchase each of the thousands of items on display in their store.

“We individually select each item; some dealers just receive consignments of various goods and sell them off as they can, but we buy very carefully to sell at a reasonable price,” she emphasised.

Martin is also happy to do appraisals and also to hire out items for special events such as a photo-shoot, or even hire vintage tea-wares for that special High Tea celebration.

Laybys and gift certificates are also readily available for that special item you just don’t want to miss out on.

Judy can’t pick one individual item that catches her imagination but does retail a couple of goods that you definitely won’t find at your local home centre.

“One unusual piece of furniture is the revolving book case from the mid-19th century.

“We also have some mother-of-pearl card cases... people would carry their personal visitor cards in these for when they came to a wealthy home... the sort of card that the butler would bring in to announce you,” she said.

“We also sell Goddard’s Silver Cleaner and National Trust Polish furniture polish which are about the best that you can get for antiques,” Judy concluded.

King's Antiques & Collectables, 139 George St, Bathurst NSW, mob: 0417 785 495, Facebook and Instagram, @kingsantiquesbathurst.