Independent bookshop
A Sydney CBD independent trading since 1968.
Australia
Bookshops in Sydney
The Atlas lists 38 independent bookshops in Sydney, 9 of them selling secondhand books — including 1 antiquarian bookseller. 4 have a café recorded in the listing; confirm its hours before visiting. The densest cluster offers 6 possible stops over an estimated 4.5 km; actual walking routes may be longer.
Unfolding the map…
Secondhand · Kidman Lane, Sydney New South Wales 2021
About 30,000 pre-loved books over three storeys of a Paddington terrace.
Café
Antiquarian
A branch of a bookselling family with Dutch roots going back generations, spread over three storeys of new, rare and secondhand books, with a café inside.
Secondhand & newRare booksCaféRare books
Independent bookshop · Open now
A Newtown favourite since 1996 with turquoise shelves.
Secondhand · 257 King Street, Sydney NSW 2042 · Open now
A Newtown secondhand shop founded in 1973, credited with inventing 'Blind Date with a Book'.
Secondhand
Secondhand
Named for Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, this Bondi café-bookshop began with the owners' own hoard of secondhand books and moved into an old surf shop a block from the beach. Walls of used and new books surround the tables, and lingering over a coffee with something from the shelves is encouraged.
Secondhand & newLiteratureCafé
Secondhand · since 1967 · Open now
A famously overstocked Newtown shop of secondhand and out-of-print books, founded in 1967 and still family run. Its collection on the labour movement and progressive politics is unmatched, and the shelves of Australian history reward anyone with time to dig.
PoliticsAustralian historyAustralianaStep-free access
Independent bookshop · 14 Macleay Street, Sydney · Open now
An award-winning small independent in Elizabeth Bay.
Secondhand
A rambling 1880s building on Glebe Point Road holding tens of thousands of secondhand books, with a courtyard café by day and a wine bar by night. The Australian fiction shelves are deep, the history and politics generous, and poetry nights and live music fill the courtyard.
Australian fictionHistory & politicsForeign-languageCaféOpen late
Independent bookshop · 5 Henderson Road, Sydney
Independent bookshop
New & secondhand · 49 Glebe Point Road, Sydney 2037
New & secondhand
Secondhand · 39 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Secondhand
Independent bookshop · 440 Parramatta Road, Sydney NSW 2049 · Open now
Step-free access
Independent bookshop · Open now
Independent bookshop · 8 Argyle Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop · Open now
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Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop
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Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop
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Religious
Independent bookshop
Independent bookshop · Elizabeth Street, Sydney
Bookshop questions: Sydney
- How many bookshops are listed in Sydney?
The Atlas currently lists 38 active bookshops in Sydney. This is the number in our directory, not a claim that every shop in the area has been recorded.
- Can I find secondhand bookshops in Sydney?
9 listed shops are categorised as selling secondhand books. Stock changes frequently; ask a shop directly if you need a particular book.
- Are the opening hours and accessibility details checked?
The Atlas displays available source information. A listing without opening hours or access details is incomplete, not necessarily closed or inaccessible. Check each shop's website and confirm anything essential before travelling.
- Can I plan a bookshop walk in Sydney?
Use the map and the crawl planner to choose stops close together. Displayed route distances are estimates, not turn-by-turn walking directions. Check crossings, hills, opening times and the actual walking route before setting off.
Plan a bookshop crawl- Can I add a shop or correct a listing?
Yes. Send the shop's name, location and a reliable website or other source. Suggestions and corrections are reviewed before changing the Atlas.
Suggest a shop
Shop data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence, with descriptions of featured shops by Creasy Spines. Opening hours change — check before a long journey. Suggest an edit