Chamber 25 - Emporer

Written By Gareth M.

Chamber 25 - Emporer was the last in the line of chambers in the main building. It overlooked Chamber 27 - Golden Delicious (the café) and wrapped around half of Chamber 24 - Bartletts. It also contained an office that was utilised by Book Browser for its operation from 1993 through to 2022.

From 1993 through to 2022 this chamber was the home of Book Browser, it had been one of the largest secondhand bookshops in Victoria. 

From 1993 to 2021 the office had a set of traffic lights affixed to the outside. The intent at least at the start in the 1990s when the Packing House was opened was that the centre amber light (the only functional light) would be illuminated when the Packing House was open, so that there was a light that was visible along the central corridor for people to see at the other end near the front / Chamber 10 - Crofton.

Office in Chamber 1 during renovation. (Photo: 1993-05)

The office, which had originally been located in Chamber 1 - Tycos before renovations began was relocated to this area in 1993, with the sides of that office being joined together to make a single long wall of windows to display items. Book Browser, unlike other dealers priced their books on-site, so a large office was required to store books pending pricing, and then sorting and being put away. 

This chamber specifically held all children's books (fiction and non-fiction), all non-fiction books on Australia, and non-fiction books on other countries of the world. Also World War II non-fiction books were along the front of the office below the windows.

At the end of the space where it intersected with Chamber 26 - Sheppards Delight held travel writing, archaeology, folklore, maritime non-fiction and motoring writing, and along the exterior wall / looking out to the car park held all the gardening and plant-related books.

Following the sale of Tyabb Packing House to Morgan & Griffin, and some changes they implemented such as preventing Book Browser's sales being processed at the front counter, along with the economic downturn and changes in management style by Morgan & Griffin at the Packing House, Book Browser elected to close their business down in December 2022.

Following their vacating the space in December 2022 this chamber remained empty until it was taken on in March 2023 by a vintage dealer from The Village.

Note: Images have dates written in YEAR-MONTH-DAY format, as there is a mix of mediums of images with some having more exact dates than others. 

Inside the office

From 1993 through to 2022 the office within Chamber 25 was utilised by Book Browser for storage, pricing and sorting of books and other related items. Books were stored in wine boxes as these were the perfect size to lift without getting too heavy (hence the proliferation of wine boxes in the images below).

Note: Images have dates written in YEAR-MONTH-DAY format, as there is a mix of mediums of images with some having more exact dates than others. 

More information

Screenshot: Postcards © 2007, Nine Network

  • This chamber had an internal phone mounted on the outside wall of the office, which could be used to contact the Front Counter.

  • This chamber had a ramp leading down into Chamber 27 - Golden Delicious, although it had been passed by the council when the Packing House was opened in 1993, it was noted by people utilising wheelchairs or pushing prams to be remarkably steep.

  • This chamber was featured on the Nine Network tourism show “Postcards” in 2007.

  • Inside the office was an external door, and was one of a small few at the Packing House that had a lock on the door, this was fitted originally to allow books to be loaded into the office during non-operating hours.

External links

Other obscurities

Front Counter | Front office | Lay-by room | Internal phone system | Fire and emergency systems | Power, Heating and Cooling

Gareth M.
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Chamber 26 - Sheppards Delight
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Chamber 24 - Bartletts