The name Woollahra is said to be the Aboriginal word for "meeting ground". Even though it was chosen as the name of the Municipality as early as 1860 it still hits the bull's eye.
The tree-lined Queen Street epitomises the suburb east of Sydney CBD: a meeting place for fashion lovers, antique hunters and coffee addicts. With the ultra-modern shopping centre Westfield Bondi Junction and the popular shopping strip Oxford Street right around the corner, the competition for Woollahra store owners is diverse and multi-faceted, which means they have to come up with something special to distinguish themselves - and indeed they do.
On any given week day afternoon the shops along Queen Street are busy. Young mums and their offspring, elegant women in their fifties, businessmen and the occasional gay couple browse the high-end offer of boutiques such as Ruby & Min, Attic and Seed.
Designers like Lisa Ho, Akira, Nicola Finetti and Tim O'Connor also have their flagship stores on Queen Street. The locality's largely well-heeled clientele does not seem to be on a tight budget, but one senses that even here not everything is as sunny and carefree as it once was. Maybe it is just the new winter collections, but with thick wool, cosy cashmere and robust boots all in a dark palette including black, grey and the occasional brown, it looks like store owners and customers alike want to prepare not only for a cold season but for harder times.
"At the moment I would rather invest in something substantial like a high-quality cashmere sweater or a great leather bag than in a dress I might only wear once or twice", says Jennifer Poland, who uses her lunch break to peruse the new season's collections. She particularly loves to shop at Attic, which she describes as a small concept store with a very personal touch. "I love their combination of interesting homeware pieces and labels such as James Perse, Acne Jeans and Givenchy", she says.
Lou Fischer, who is out shopping with here two-year old son Tom in tow, names Ruby & Min as her favourite store: "I was just looking for a nice coat or a good sweater for autumn and with European brands like Custo, Nolita, Freesoul and Daybirger I know, I always find something here - and if not, I know I'm at least gonna run into a girlfriend. For me it is always worth coming to Woollahra."
LOWDOWN
Location: about 5 km east of Sydney CBD
Population: 6,983 (census 2006)
Brands: James Perse, Acne Jeans, Givenchy, Lisa Ho, Nicola Finetti, Akira, Tim O?Connor, Custo, Nolita, Freesoul, Daybirger
RUGGED UP: Chunky knitted collections hit boutique stores in Woollahra.