Insider guide to best vintage shopping Ballarat
Collecting pieces with history and sentiment means so much more to me than buying mass-produced items and don’t even get me started on anything that is engraved, I love imagining the life my treasure has lived before it was mine. If you’re anything like me you are always on the lookout for unique one-off pieces to really put some heart into your interiors then the Ballarat region is a fossicker’s delight.
Let me take you on a tour of my favourite vintage shopping Ballarat region haunts.
The Mill Markets
The unmissable Mill Markets sit high on the hill as you approach Ballarat from Melbourne like a giant welcome sign for vintage lovers. Allow yourself plenty of time here to wander around the 80 stalls offering everything from furniture to fashion.
Rocket & Belle
Two vintage-loving friends offer their unique and unusual finds sourced from all around the country at “The Shed on Mair”. The huge shed has a vast and interesting array of ever-changing stock.
Antik
Aptly dubbed “Purveyors of the Old & Unusual” that is most definitely what you will find at this little gem just a few minutes from the centre of town. Antik specialises in industrial and vintage decor and always have an exceptional selection of interesting signage and garagenalia. True vintage shopping Ballarat style.
Vintage 216
A wonderfully curated treasure trove of exquisite farmhouse antiques from here and abroad. This gorgeous store could be ripped straight from the pages of Country Style magazine. If your vintage dreams include a French farmhouse amongst a lavender-filled field then this is the place for you!
216 Skipton Street Ballarat, VIC AU
Beaufort Big Garage Sale
Well worth the easy drive to Beaufort from Grayling’s the Big Garage Sale houses a massive range of antiques, second-hand goods, furniture, tools, farming implements and bric-a-brac. When you are done exploring here, pop across the road to the Pyrenees Pantry for a delicious homemade pie and just try leaving without taking some of their delicious sweet treats back to Grayling’s to enjoy with a cuppa.
44 on Brooke
Just 20 minutes from Ballarat the little town of Smythesdale is home to the delightful 44 on Brooke. Ruth Howlett has been collecting vintage treasures at her store for over 19 years. She has a great selection of furniture and vintage treasures at very “un-Melbourne” prices.
These are just a few of my favourite vintage shopping Ballarat region destinations. You’re sure to find other great shopping along the way.
