York bric-a-brac safari

The emporiums are overflowing. There’s a picture of the Mona Lisa, locally produced art and endless collectables. York is a bric-a-brac safari delight.

Heritage architecture, browsers’ bookshops and galleries. Quaint coffee shops, an excellent bakery and heritage hotels for refreshments. It’s a good destination for a day tripper.

I’ve downloaded the York Trails and Tours app on my phone, which gives me informative descriptions and information about the beautiful Victorian and Federation buildings that line the main street. An hour’s drive from Perth, the historic town was settled in 1831, making it the second oldest town in WA.

But back to the bric-a-brac safari …

Rabbit Shed Collectables owner Stanley Coates is standing outside his shop Avon Terrace shop. I stop to chat.

Inside, it’s bursting at the seams with stuff. There’s barely enough room to move around. Stanley must sense my amazement. “If it’s not here, they didn’t make it,” he says, and I suspect he is right. There are glasses, vases, toy cars, hats, clocks, honey and soap. The list is endless. It is full of bric-a-brac and collectables.

Stepping inside any of the galleries, and emporiums scattered around York and you gives you a similar experience.

One of the town’s biggest attractions, York Motor Museum, is packed with other collectables.

Established in 1979 by classic car enthusiasts Peter Briggs and James Harwood, it is now owned and managed by the community after the Avon Valley Motor Museum Association purchased it from Mr Briggs in 2017. Inside, there’s an eclectic collection of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia.

Museum manager Brian Johns shows me around the immaculate displays. He explains that locals wanted to buy it to give the profits back to the York community. “This is the major tourism attraction in York. It brings a lot of visitors here and the rest of the businesses benefit from that. That was the purpose of a group of us getting together to buy it,” he says.

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Admission to the York Motor Museum:

• Adults $12
• Seniors and students $9
• Children under 12 years $3
• Family pass for 2 adults and children under 12 $30