Business
20 August, 2025
Mount Isa's new bookstore open for business
A passion has turned into a small business for a Mount Isa resident.
Darcy Baldwin hopes Mount Isa readers will remember the simple pleasure of perusing the shelves of a local bookstore.
The former teacher aide has taken the plunge into bookselling – opening his own shop, appropriately titled Mount Isa Books, at 62 Simpson Street on Saturday.
With a range of fiction and non-fiction books, which include fantasy, classics, crime, history and a large selection of manga comics, Darcy said the feedback about his venture has been positive.
A steady trickle of customers walked through the converted sunroom at the weekend, with some school children already making requests for future orders.
With his shop directly opposite Good Shepherd Catholic College, Darcy said he hoped parents and their children might be curious about the books he has on offer.
“I have had a few older people come in and say how good it is to have a bookstore again,” Darcy told North West Weekly.
“It was something I really started thinking about a few months ago.
“I thought that I have the space with this sunroom and I have all these books so I might as well have a go and set up shop.”
Darcy’s personal collection of about 2000 books is the first allotment of stock for the shelves, with the new business owner already purchasing other fantasy and science fiction titles in bulk to fill out the shelves.
He admitted with declining numbers of people reading for pleasure in a crowded media space, it was a difficult decision to try his hand at selling books.
However, he said he wanted to promote the wellbeing that comes from taking a step back and just absorbing a good story.
“There is this big productivity obsession where there is pressure on everyone to always be doing something or working,” he said.
“But I think people should be able to just take some time to relax and reading a book is a fulfilling way to use that time.”
Darcy currently works part-time at Kmart to supplement his income as he hopes word will spread that Mount Isa has a new bookstore.
“Since I started talking about this, people have been telling me about the other book shops they remember being in Mount Isa and they all remember them very fondly. I don’t expect to make a lot of money from selling books, but I hope it might bring in a small income,” he said.
“It’s always been an ambition of mine to open something like this.”
Mount Isa Books is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 8.30am to 4.30pm.