Share what you love about Dymocks Melbourne with us!
This September we’ll be celebrating 25 Years of Dymocks Melbourne!
For a quarter of a century they’ve been proud to be a place for book lovers to discover new stories, meet favourite authors, and share a love of reading.
We’re excited to celebrate this milestone together and will be sharing plenty of ways to join in the fun all the way throughout their birthday month, including special promotions, giveaways, and activities for book lovers of all ages.
Dymocks Melbourne History
In 2001, the Traverso family opened the doors to Dymocks Melbourne in the Collins234 centre. They stepped into the profound literary legacy of E.W. Cole, creator of the legendary book wonderland once on this historic site, Cole’s Book Arcade.
Like Cole, the Traverso family set out to create a dazzling, modern haven for Melbourne’s book lovers. We like to think some of Cole’s visionary spirit helped transformed the entire lower ground floor of the Collins234 building into a sweeping universe of over one million books, making it the biggest, most vibrant book experience in the city!
Floating down the store escalator into a literal sea of stories is a magical experience that visitors remark on constantly, and that’s just the start – beyond the endless shelves, we aspire to also welcome every customer to a joyful hub where we’ve hosted lively author events, book launches and other festivities that bring creators and readers face-to-face.
We’re celebrating 25 years of shared stories, and we’d love Melbourne’s book community to celebrate with us. We’ve listed some ways you can show your love for this iconic Melbourne institution.
Join The Birthday Party, 10 September | 5–8pm
Dymocks Booklover members are invited to join us for celebratory drinks, nibbles and, of course – birthday cake! They’ll also get 25% OFF* all day. Entry is free, but RSVP is essential – book(opens in new tab) your free ticket via Trybooking. *To receive the discount, you must join the Dymocks Booklover program(opens in new tab) by Thursday September 10, to enjoy 25% OFF at both Dymocks Melbourne(opens in new tab) and Dymocks Art of Giving(opens in new tab).
Add your dot! On now until 12 September
What keeps you coming back to Dymocks Melbourne(opens in new tab)? Add your dot sticker to our community wall and let us know what makes your visits special. Simply follow the red circle floor decals to the activation space on the ground floor, select a sticker and place it under the answer that matters most to you.
Sign the Birthday Book! On now until 11 September
Help us fill these pages of the Birthday Book with birthday wishes, favourite memories and kind words as we celebrate 25 years of Dymocks Melbourne. This book will be treasured long after the celebrations are over, so pop into the centre to leave your message. The book is located on the ground floor, in the same space as the community survey installation. (Follow the red circle floor decals.)
Bookshop Clue Hunt! Friday 4 September 2026
Try your hand at the Dymocks Melbourne Great Bookshop Clue Hunt and the Quarter-Century Quack Hunt. There’s prizes to be won!
>> For more information on these activities – keep an eye on the Dymocks Instagram Page www.instagram.com/dymocks234/
Bookmark Design Competition – NOW CLOSED
Dymocks Melbourne is inviting readers, artists and creatives of all ages to design a bookmark inspired by our store – whether it’s your favourite reading memory, the joy of discovering a new book, the people you’ve met here, or simply what stories mean to you, we can’t wait to see your creativity come to life.
Your design can be and-drawn, painted, photographed or digitally designed, it’s up to you! (Just make sure it’s your own original artwork.)
What’s up for grabs?
-Your winning design will be professionally printed as our official birthday bookmark throughout September!
– PLUS, you’ll win a $1,000 Dymocks Melbourne shopping spree!
Entries close: Monday 24 August
Information forms are available to download here or email levents@dymocks.com.au, or in-store.