The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB) was founded in 1977 and has belonged to the ILAB since 1978.

ANZAAB aims to promote antiquarian bookselling and collecting. Like many national associations it sets out standards of commercial behaviour to which its members voluntarily adhere. ANZAAB encourages the observance of the courtesies and honourable practices traditionally associated with the trade, and in particular seeks to encourage booksellers to achieve high standards of accuracy in descriptions of materials offered for sale.

Membership is open to booksellers from Australia and New Zealand and from countries where no ILAB-affiliated association exists and who have, for a certain number of years, been engaged full-time in buying and selling valuable and significant books and/or related material, and who are recognised for their expertise and good name. ANZAAB organizes book fairs in the major Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney. BookFare, the ANZAAB newsletter, and the ANZAAB Aspects of Book Collecting, written by Australian dealers and published on the website www.anzaab.com, provide book collectors with interesting information about the activities of the trade in Australia and book collecting in general.

From 2000 to 2002 ANZAAB member Kay Craddock was the first woman president in the ILAB history. At the Delaware Presidents’ Meeting 2006 she was unanimously elected ILAB President of Honour, a designation awarded to those who have provided service to the League beyond that of the normal course of their duties. Paul Feain was a long-time member of the ILAB Committee serving as General-Secretary and Treasurer. Over the years he carefully intensified the friendly relationship to the Asian rare booksellers, together with Mitsuo Nitta from Japan. Australians continue to be active in the international antiquarian book arena. Sally Burdon joined the ILAB Committee in 2014 And was elected its Vice-President in 2016.

Book Fair

The ANZAAB Rare Book Fairs are held annually in Melbourne (forming part of Melbourne Rare Book Week), and every two years in Sydney.

Annual Meeting

July (at the time of the Melbourne Rare Book Fair)

Board

Jonathan Burdon, President

Roz Greenwood, Vice-President and Membership Officer

Rachel Robarts, Secretary

Michael Sprod, Treasurer

Jörn Harbeck, Immediate Past President

Margaret Dunston, Board Member

Mark Burgess, Board Member

Douglas Stewart, Board Member

Life Members

Muriel Craddock

Kenneth Hince

Susan Tompkins

Honorary Members

Paul Brunton

Wallace Kirsop

ILAB Patrons of Honour

Barry Humphries

David Malouf