By Emma Young
Since Leederville’s Oxford Street Books closed in 2018, one of Perth’s premier high streets has lacked that certain something.
The closure was so grieved that a community collective began a fundraiser to open a new not-for-profit version with crowdsourced seed funding.
Boundless Books owner Allyce Cameron.
But despite hundreds of donors signing on, it was not quite enough and is now defunct as a new contender has prevailed. Boundless Books will open – logistics willing – before Christmas.
Owner Allyce Cameron has worked at Dymocks Morley Galleria for the past 14 years, first as a staffer then manager, but all Galleria stores have battled with falling foot traffic caused by the rundown mall owners abandoning a major redevelopment. She said many shoppers were taking their business elsewhere.
“I started looking into what it would take to purchase a Dymocks store in 2018 so that gives you an idea of how long the renovations have been pushed back,” she said.
“I was considering taking over the Morley store here, as the owners are looking to retire at some stage … but decided to go independent, and I definitely think that was the right thing.”
Boundless Books will be next door to the old Oxford St Books site and two doors up from Urban Records.
“It’s a cracking spot,” Cameron said.
“Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights it’s pumping, and they need a bookstore right there, so people can have dinner then go for a wander.”
Cameron said bookshops were the heart of any high street; a retail precinct without one was “just a little bit sad”.
“If I go out to dinner I still love to go and have a browse in a bookstore afterwards, even though I run a bookstore already. You just never know what you’re going to find,” she said.
“A mix of retail and restaurants is important for any strip, you can’t just go out and go home, you want people to stay and spend their money.”
Cameron said the prospect of diversifying the offerings of restaurant-heavy Leederville had helped in her bid for the location.
The campaign that was attempting to revive the old Oxford Street Books has promised to soon refund donations, and offered insight into the difficulties of such a venture.
They told WAtoday that falling short of the funding target made it difficult to secure a permanent home.
Books are back on Leederville’s main strip, Oxford Street.
Despite this, they came very close to locking in a prime location right on the strip, but had to pause memberships 15 months ago while looking for other sites. A local philanthropist was willing to assist, but another location also fell through.
“Along the way, we incorporated the Perth Reader’s Association and liaised with members of the community, including Leederville Connect and City of Vincent councillors,” they said.
“We’re super happy that someone else has succeeded in bringing a bookstore back to Leedy.”
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