Please note: this is an old article
It was published in October 2011, so the information may be out-of-date.
June Barclay had always dreamed of running her own antique and collectable store and this month her wish came true with Barclay’s Antiques & Collectables opening in Longstaff St.
"It's a great site, conveniently positioned half way between the CBD and Riverside Plaza, with affordable rent and easy parking," June said.
"I've already had shoppers coming in and enjoying the trip down memory lane that comes with fossicking through the treasures."
June said she had always enjoyed collecting pieces of furniture, bric ‘n' brac including glass ware, and collectable items, however, storing them in a shed was getting to be difficult so she thought it was time to share them with the world.
June was confident she filled a gap in the retail market.
"Life is too short to dream about doing something and I really wanted to give it a go," she said.
"There are a lot of people renovating old houses now and finding the furniture and odds and ends to match the decor can be difficult when you have mostly new furniture stores opening - antiques are getting harder to find.
She said many people collected antiques for investment purposes, however, it was something that "gets in your blood".
"I think my store will also attract people who love restoring old furniture, some of the pieces I have now are perfect for that," June said.
The Business Centre has played an important part in supporting June in opening her new business.
"When I went to register the business I was directed to the Business Centre in new Dookie Rd," June said. "I spoke to Business Development Officer Lonnie O'Dwyer who took me through the online registration and informed me about the support and advice available."
Lonnie said she was genuinely pleased to hear June was opening her business.
"I congratulate June on achieving her goal," Lonnie said.
"It's really satisfying to see the process from the idea, the name, the paper work and then the actual opening of business. June has set her shop up beautifully - it takes a huge effort to move all that furniture from storage and display it as professionally as June has."