Moorabool Antique Galleries, Founded 1958

John began dealing at a young age, and became a licensed dealer in 1959, and joined the Antique Dealers Association of Victoria in 1959 (now the Australian Art & Antique Dealers Association) . His knowledge is a lifetime's accumulated experience, which is extensive in most areas of fine antiques & art. He is most passionate about Ceramics and Georgian furniture.
His wife Lorraine joined the business after marrying John, and together they built up a fine business, putting emphesis on research and understanding of items in stock; the items for sale were not just merchandise, they were fascinating records of past lives. Lorraine's particular love was the earliest French and German porcelain, and as an expert in the field, she often lectured and wrote for magazines. Her passion was easy to catch, and she was responsible for interesting a wide number of collectors in the rarefield world of early porcelain collecting. She sadly passed away in 2004 after a short illness.

Their son Paul...... well, he just didn't stand a chance!
He had his first auction at just 3 weeks........ and has been dragged through every dusty antique shop and to endless auctions ever since.
After completing school, Paul studied Art History and Archaeology at La Trobe University. He then spent two years roaming the globe, buying the unusual and unique and shipping it back home.
Eventually settling in London, the world center of the Antiques trade, he was able to learn the trade from the ground up. While there, he also participated in the 1996/97 Christies Education course, earning a Diploma in the Fine and Decorative Arts from the Royal Society of the Arts. (For better or for worse, this makes him a Dip. RSA.) He is now married, to Glenys, and has a young family - the next generation of Antique Dealers coming on!

Lindsay Wilson is an integral part of the business, joining in 1984 and becoming an essential ingredient. His knowledge comes from a lifetime of living in the past - just ask him any question about Victorian table etiquette and be prepared to be amazed!

In April 1999, Moorabool Antiques moved from their home of 35 years in Moorabool Street to a majestically spacious double story building in Ryrie Street - just around the corner. There is free parking next door in our carpark. This 'new' premises is a local historical landmark, and is a major attraction for visitors to the Geelong region. Have a glance at the building here.
In 2008, the Lorraine Rosenberg Ceramic Reference Collection & Library of related books was opened, with the aim to carry on Lorraine's work in stimulating interest in early ceramics.

If you are curious about our name - Moorabool is the name the local Koori people knew the area by, before white settlement. It means 'Sparkling Waters', and indeed the hill Geelong is built on gives a fine view across the often sparkling Corio Bay towards Melbourne.