How it All Started

A visual story of SB Libris — from a weatherboard house to View Street

It’s easy to forget now, but we began in a time before Instagram and online shops were ‘a thing’.

No Facebook page. No social media. Just a corner of our old, un-renovated Victorian weatherboard house — and an idea.

The first bindery lived there. A makeshift space cobbled together with whatever we had — a simple bench, some old tools, and a growing collection of leather and paper.

The house was cold, the floorboards uneven, but we worked late into the evenings creating our first leather-bound journals and photo albums.

Those first pieces would find their way to our very first shop at 95 View Street, Bendigo.

95 View Street: Opening the Doors

We opened the shop in 2005 — with a few freestanding bookcases, a desk at the front, and the bindery tucked in behind.

The gold lettering on the window read:
"Hand Bound Books and Albums."

We didn’t know who would come through the door — or if anyone would. But they did.

Locals, tourists from the Gallery, artists, writers, and curious passers-by. Word spread slowly, and soon we were receiving custom orders and restoration requests.

One of our big early breaks? A three-page feature in Country Style magazine.

At the time, it felt enormous — the kind of exposure a young business dreams of. We still remember the rush of phone calls and visitors who came in, magazine in hand.

 Moving to 81–83 View Street

In 2007/2008, we moved to a larger space — 81–83 View Street — giving us room to breathe.

We kept the bindery in No. 81, with a small shop space next door selling our handcrafted products alongside a carefully chosen range of stationery.

Between 2008 and 2015, this space underwent a few refreshes. The work evolved. The shelves filled with new pieces. The bindery tools clammered in the background.

By this stage, the business had grown beyond what we’d first imagined.
But we stayed true to our roots — crafting each piece by hand, welcoming visitors personally, and building relationships with our customers.

The Most Recent Chapter

The final (and most recent) change came when we expanded the stationery and retail offering into both sides of the shop — and moved the bindery (with the exception of our embossing equipment, which still lives downstairs).

Today, when you step into SB Libris, you’ll find a carefully curated space filled with craftsmanship and stories — from leather journals and restored heirlooms to beautiful papers and stationery.

Upstairs the bindery is full of book restorations, custom creations and a never ending collection of our own handcrafted journals, books and albums to be sold through our store (in store and online)

A Big Thank You

Looking back through these old photos, it feels a little like leafing through a family album.

The house.
The first bindery.
The single shopfront.
The move to 81–83 View Street.

And all of it shaped by the people who walked through our doors.

If you’ve visited us over the years — thank you. If you’re new here — welcome. We’re so glad to share this story with you.