Page 140 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

138  SY DNEY

Specialist Shopping in Sydney You can find souvenirs
representing Aboriginal
Sydney offers an extensive range of gift and souvenir ideas, Australia at several shops in the
from unset opals and jewellery to Aboriginal art and hand- Harbourside Shopping Centre,
crafted souvenirs. Museum shops, such as at the Museum of Darling Harbour. The Coo-ee
Sydney (see p96) and the Art Gallery of NSW (see pp114–17), Aboriginal Art Gallery boasts a
often have specially commissioned items that make great large selection of limited edition
prints, hand-printed fabrics,
presents or reminders of your visit. books and Aboriginal music.
The Kate Owen Gallery
features three large floors of
One-offs
games, as well as a collection of Aboriginal art, with friendly,
Specialist shops abound jewellery made from Australian knowledgeable staff who are
in Sydney – some practical, minerals and products featuring happy to share their expertise.
some eccentric, others simply Aboriginal designs. Works by urban indigenous
indulgent. Wheels & Doll Baby artists can be found at the
designs clothes that mix 1950s Boomalli Aboriginal Artists’
chic, rock’n’roll and Hollywood Books Cooperative.
glamour. The Hour Glass stocks The large Dymocks store on
traditional watches, while in the George St sells guide books Opals
creative hub of Newtown, you and maps on Sydney. For more
will find unique leather goods, eclectic browsing, try Abbey’s Sydney offers a variety of opals in
including handbags, wallets Bookshop, Ariel and Gleebooks, myriad settings. Opal Minded, a
and belts, from Leo Monk. Or while Berkelouw Books has family-owned business founded
head to Yoshi Jones, where you three floors of new, second-hand by a second-generation opal
can pick up unique Australian and rare books. The Bookshop miner, creates its pieces using
designs with a Japanese Darlinghurst specializes in gay opals sourced from its own
aesthetic. Vintage silk kimonos and lesbian fiction and non- mines in Queensland. At Opal
are unpicked, cut by hand and fiction. The State Library of Fields you can view a collection
upcycled into innovative styles. NSW (see p113) bookshop has of opalized fossils, before buying
R.M. Williams offers classic a good choice of Australian from the wide range of gems.
stockman’s gear including boots, books, particularly on history. Giulian’s has unset opals,
belts, clothes and accessories. including blacks from Lightning
For antiques and quirky artisan Ridge, whites from Coober Pedy
homewares, try Elements I Love. Music and boulder opals from Quilpie.
Several specialist music shops
of international repute can be
Australiana Jewellery
found in Sydney. Red Eye
Australiana has become more Records is for the streetwise, with Long-established Sydney
than just a souvenir genre; it is its collectables, rarities, alternative jewellers with 24-carat
now an art form in itself. music and concert tickets. Mojo reputations include Fairfax &
The Ken Done Gallery has Record Bar sells vinyl records at Roberts and Hardy Brothers.
distinctive prints by artist Ken the front and drinks out the World-class pearls are found in
Done on a selection of posters, back in its themed small bar the waters off the northwestern
prints, scarves and books at his space. Birdland has a good coast of Australia. Rare and
small gallery story. Australia the stock of blues, jazz, soul and beautiful examples can be
Gift, opposite Wynyard Station, avant-garde. The Recordstore found at Paspaley Pearls.
sells a huge range of items, from specializes in vinyl records of The Family Jewels has been
leather, clothing and wool, to many styles, including breakbeat, attracting jewellery buyers to
mugs, magnets and quirky tea- drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and hip its main Paddington store since
bag holders. The Art Gallery hop. Suzie Q Coffee + Records the 1980s. Dinosaur Designs
of NSW store stocks a wide sells an eclectic mix of second- made its name with colourful,
range of Australian art books, hand LPs, and Utopia Records chunky resin jewellery, while at
prints, posters and giftware. in hard rock and heavy metal. Love & Hatred, jewelled wrist
The Queen Victoria Building Australia’s largest classical and cuffs, rings and crosses recall
(see p94) is dominated by shops jazz music specialist, Fish Fine lush medieval treasures.
selling Australiana: souvenirs, Music, is found in the QVB. Jan Logan is an iconic
antiques, art and crafts. Australian jewellery designer,
The small shop at the with stores in Melbourne, Hong
Australian Museum (see pp98–9) Aboriginal Art Kong and London, as well as
sells slightly unusual gift items, Traditional paintings, fabric, Sydney. Choose from beautiful
such as native flower presses, jewellery, boomerangs, carvings and unusual contemporary
bark paintings and Australian and cards can be bought at the pieces, otherwise the shop
animal puppets, puzzles and Aboriginal and Pacific Art. also carries antiques.