By Nicola van Laar
The independent bookshop in my suburb has closed after 30 years. It was the longest running business on the Blues Point Road shopping strip.
When owner Helen Baxter was asked if she had any photos from the opening of her bookshop for this article, she replied that she did not, as she didn’t have an opening event. Helen had loved the original space on sight and decided to buy the lease, from the alternative bookstore owner (Jenny), within 48 hours of seeing it.
At 77 years of age, Baxter has only had two careers. At the time, in her first career, she was one of the only women lawyers in the international corporate aviation sector. Her second career was as an independent bookstore owner.
Although she had no experience in running a business or a bookshop, Baxter had seen bookshops all over the world, she had an independent and adventurous spirit, and most importantly she had a true passion for books.
Growing up, her family loved books too. Her mother was a kindergarten teacher, and her brother was a “bookaholic”. She recalled telling her granny she didn’t like chocolate, so her granny gave her books instead.
Wanting to learn about the how the industry worked with her keen mind, Baxter approached the publishers directly. There were no computers back then, so she rang the chief executives of Pan Macmillan (Sydney), Penguin (Melbourne) and Harper Collins (Pymble) and “fluffed it” to get meetings with all of them.
“I came out reeling by how the book industry worked on the smallest of margins, controlled by the publishers, and realised that bookshops didn’t make any money,” she said. “They all said the same thing, so I knew they were telling the truth about the industry.”
When Baxter started her business there was no internet, online Booktopia, or big warehouses; the publishers didn’t sell to Kmart, Target and Big W; and there was no Amazon, Kindles or e-books. They all came 10 years later and profoundly changed the industry.
The Blues Point Bookshop was originally located across the road in the ground floor shop of a quaint terrace at 131 Blues Point Road in McMahons Point, Sydney, from 1996 to 2024.
Helen recalled tour buses pulling up on the main street, the tourists spilling out to take photos. Puzzled, she went out to ask them why they were taking pictures one day and was told that they thought it was like the bookshop The Shop Around the Corner, from the 1998 movie You’ve Got Mail.
She loves the children’s book reps and said they are “very passionate and love selling in the product”. Baxter noted that the older books are coming back now, such as The Gruffalo.
She also loves that customers that grew up in the shop are now bringing their own children back. Like the Kathleen Kelly character in You’ve Got Mail, Baxter loves to see children running in excitedly, sitting on the floor learning to count and to read.
Helen has an impressive work ethic. The bookshop was open seven days a week and she worked long hours in the shop, while attending to the business side too.
“I only had a student in to help with the Christmas period from December to February,” Baxter said.
She still reads two to three books per week and likes everything except science fiction. Baxter would personally review the books with hand-written notes for customers, also creating newsletters, a website and social media accounts.
The publishers originally told her she was too small, but she has held over 300 author events, championing local authors such as Wendy Whitely and Janet Hawley, and first-time authors such as Suzanne Do. Before its closure, the Kirribilli Club could hold 400 people at her Meet the Author events. The publishers ended up giving her an account manager.
Sadly Baxter’s lease was not renewed in 2024 after decades in the terrace, through no fault of her own. She reached out to the community for help.
“Tell your community when times are tough,” Baxter said.
Chris Chen has been the pharmacist in the Blues Point Pharmacy across the road for eight years.
“It is very sad and a loss for the community. She was very welcoming to new businesses in the community,” Chen said.
He called Helen “our village captain”.
“Both my boys love reading from her recommendations,” Chen said.
The shop had been the “heart of the village”. Helen loved that it was talked about and the “intimacy” of the old shop. An alternative shop site was offered across the road.
“The community was able to return the favour to Helen, as droves of locals headed to McMahons Point to help move the shop to its new location,” Felicity Wilson MP posted on social media. “With a crowd of 50 people moving over 8,000 books convoy-style across the road, the entire shop was moved in just 15 minutes, which was a simply incredible effort.”
It’s early 2026 and Sale signs have appeared in the bookshop’s windows.
“No one’s coming down from the North Sydney train station now the Metro has opened. McMahons Point is dying,” Baxter said, noting that there is a natural “dead end” at the end of the street, Sydney Harbour, and there’s not as much money around.
Koula has worked for 13 years at Karisma Eyecare a few shops down. She has noticed “there’s not as much foot traffic, as not as many shops to browse in, that businesses are closing. We are relying on locals to come in”.
Baxter knows the shop closure will have an impact on the community and that small shops in high streets and urban villages are closing. She mentioned the impact from property developers and said her age is a “truthful factor” in her decision too.
Nola the pharmacy assistant agrees that the village will not be the same without her or her shop.
“I’m happy for her though, I think she deserves time for herself,” Nola said.
When questioned what retirement holds for her, Helen says her event list is massive from over 30 years of business and she is not selling it, despite offers. She has a meeting next week with someone regarding a possible collaboration.
Could this be a third career for Helen Baxter?
Featured image: The Blues Point Bookshop’s closing down sale at 148 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point. Photo: Josephine Jarvie
