Historic treasures from around the world offered at Melbourne Rare Book Fair

The 57^th annual Melbourne Rare Book Fair runs from Thursday 30 July to Saturday 1 August 2026 at Wilson Hall, within The University of Melbourne. The Book Fair is the exciting concluding event of Melbourne Rare Book Week, which delivers a rich programme of free events across the City of Melbourne and Ballarat between 23 July – 1 August.

Among the treasures on display and for sale will be a 10th-century manuscript of Saint Jerome’s commentary on Isaiah - expected to be the oldest book in Australia and priced at $1.4M, Australia’s first newspaper The Sydney Gazette from 1803, and Ernest H. Shepard’s original illustrations from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, which turns 100 this year.

Fair convener and ANZAAB Vice-President Tim White, said the Melbourne Rare Book Fair is the most important rare book event in Australasia: “For more than 50 years the Melbourne Rare Book Fair has celebrated our long and rich connection with books and literature. It is a highly anticipated part of the global rare book calendar and the quality of rare books displayed is unparalleled in the Southern Hemisphere. For collectors, scholars, and enthusiasts alike, the Melbourne Rare Book Fair is a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of rare books, history, art and design, and perhaps take some of it home with them.”

The ANZAAB Rare Book Fairs were established in 1972 and are now held annually in Melbourne and Sydney. The Book Fairs are globally significant rare book events attracting sellers and buyers from around the world.

Dates: 30 July to 1 August 2026
Location: Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne
Admission: Free
More information: rarebookfair.com