Tassie’s Hidden Gem: A former Coach House is Now One of Australia’s Most Beautiful Bookshops

Once a coach house, then an inn for convicts, now a beautiful bookshop, this hidden treasure is a must-stop for booklovers…

It’s often said that if walls could speak, some would tell a thousand stories.

Located on the Heritage Highway in Campbell Town, Tasmania, is the 180-year-old heritage property, Foxhunter’s Return. Originally, the building was a coach house, providing refreshments and tending horses for weary travellers on the road between Hobart and Launceston. Later, the cellars housed convicts who were building the nearby Red Bridge. Now, the sandstone building is a Tasmanian landmark, and houses in those same cellars one of the state’s most unique bookshops. The brick walls now shine and leave the books to tell the stories.

This treasure trove of history and literature is an absolute winner with history buffs and booklovers alike. It’s an unmissable stop on the convict heritage trail in Tasmania.

The Book Cellar has an incredible collection of thousands of quality old and new books with a particular focus on heritage and nostalgia titles. The eclectic range of quality new and used books will delight book lovers, collectors, and casual readers alike. Social history, heritage, collectibles and nostalgia feature strongly alongside children’s and adult fiction. They also stock a wide range of Tasmanian titles from antiquarian to new releases.

Nearby is the Book Cellar companion shop, The Overflow Bookstore, situated in the old Courthouse building at 103 High Street. The Overflow Bookstore features thousands more mainly used books at reduced prices.

The Book Cellar, and companion store are both open daily, from 10 am to 4 pm.