This was published 9 years ago
My Secret Sydney: David Gaunt
Gleebooks co-owner David Gaunt leads readers on a tour of his favourite Sydney sights.
By Nicole Elphick
Had fate played out a little differently, David Gaunt might have been a school teacher, rather than in the book business. He became friends with Roger Mackell, his partner in Gleebooks, while studying for a diploma of education at the University of Sydney. The bookstore was founded in 1975 by Tony Gallagher, but when he died in 1978, Gaunt and Mackell (who had been employees at the shop) took over.
"I decided to give it a go because we couldn't get jobs as teachers," says Gaunt. "For a while there, I was certainly tossing up [whether] I would be a bookseller or a teacher."
Past preserved: The Priory on Salter Street, in Gladesville. Originally a farm house, it became part of the Gladesville Hospital in the late 1800s.Credit: Domino Postiglione
These days, Gleebooks is a Sydney institution. The 63-year-old co-owner modestly attributes the success of the store to good timing. "The inner west was just coming into its own. Glebe in the '70s and through the '80s was absolutely the place to be."
Things have changed a lot since those early days. "When we opened, we had to think twice if we opened late on a Saturday; would it be legal?" he says. "We made what was, at the time, a truly radical decision to open on Sundays. All these things that now seem terribly ancient were only 40 years ago."
Institution: David Gaunt, owner of Gleebooks, in his Glebe store.Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Where did you grow up?
In the southern suburbs in Peakhurst. It was a typical '50s and '60s [experience] growing up. It was somehow suburban and vibrant at the same time – the vibrancy was because there were so many bloody kids. Lugarno, the adjoining suburb, had lots of bush, so I used to ride my bike down to the old Lugarno ferry. You had a lot of freedom.
Were you a big reader as a child?
Absolutely. When Hurstville Library opened, the children's area was so under-resourced that I got special dispensation to use my mother's card to borrow from the adult's library. They had the whole library of P. G. Wodehouse and I read my way through them at the age of 12 and 13. I had all these strange phrases and arcane English that Wodehouse introduced me to.
Formative: The Inimitable Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse.
What's the most memorable event Gleebooks has hosted?
In 1995 we hosted the first public event Salman Rushdie did when he came out of protective hiding under the fatwa. The federal police had to be here and supervise the whole event. And it was the only event we've ever had where the speaker didn't talk from the stage, because the stage has windows behind it and the federal police wouldn't discount the possibility of a sniper from the poplars over in Glebe Public School.
Security: A visit from author Salman Rushdie is always memorable.Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Which is your favourite cafe in Glebe?
I'm very fond of Badde Manors; that's been around nearly as long as we have. And if anything deserves the epithet of quirky, that is it. It's where I take anybody who calls in to see me.
Local haunt: Badde Manors Cafe, in Glebe.
Where do you live?
Gladesville. My wife and I deliberately moved away from the inner city, because we wanted green space and a decent garden. We like old things, so we've got a very old cottage in a quiet neck of the woods on Tarban Creek.
Author Ceridwen Dovey's first novel, "Only the Animals", tells stories about events in history from the viewpoint of the animals involved. Credit: Peter Rae
Is there a place in that area that's special to you?
The stand-out would be, without a question, Gladesville Hospital. It was a 19th century mental hospital, so there are places with a sad history, but it really is part of secret Sydney. An enlightened superintendent there [Frederick Norton Manning] believed that for people with mental illness, having them in open garden spaces was important. It's a large area of old buildings – some in dilapidated condition, some still magnificent – with sweeping views up and down the Parramatta River.
How would you spend your perfect day off?
It would have to involve a walk – I'm usually walking with my wife, Sally. Sometimes we'll walk through The Rocks. I've been heavily involved in conservation preservation – I've been involved in the Hunters Hill Trust for years. It means I have a vivid memory of what Jack Mundey, the BLF [Builders' Labourers Federation] and caring people did in The Rocks back in the 1970s to save it from the same fate as the rest of old Sydney. I love to go there and walk around because I think it's beautiful. It reminds me of what people who care enough to make an effort can do.
What annoys you about Sydney?
The worship of false progress is just horrendous. In my own area [of Hunters Hill], I see people buy these beautiful old houses in a garden suburb and the first thing they want to do is rip out the garden and put in a five-car carport. It's a constant battle. I remember going back to Peakhurst as a young adult. "What happened to that 1856 church?" "Oh, they needed to widen Forest Road so it's not there anymore." Once you've destroyed the past, you've destroyed the past. I think you need to be immensely conscious of how much responsibility you've got for the things that you've inherited.
Which newer local writers would you recommend?
There are three women straight away that I would reference. Fiona McFarlane – she's a terrific writer. The Night Guest was her first novel. Ceridwen Dovey's Only the Animals is great. And there's someone who used to be a detective, who's been writing the best Sydney-based crime fiction that I've read in ages, called P.M. Newton. All three of them give you an indication that in a city of this size, you'd be depressed if there weren't good writers emerging all the time.
NICOLE ELPHICK
nicole.elphick@gmail.com