One of Melbourne's oldest bookshops on the move after a century

One of the oldest bookshops in Melbourne is on the move, relocating after more than a hundred years at its Bourke Street location.

Hill of Content, a long-standing fixture in Melbourne's literary landscape, is moving just a short distance, with its owners given notice to vacate the premises on January 7 due to planned redevelopment of the building.

Owners Diana and Duncan Johnston initially met the news with dismay. 

READ MORE: 'Unacceptable' wait in caffeine overdose death

"We were absolutely devastated at the thought of having to close our store," Diana said. 

Determined to continue the bookshop's legacy, they began searching for a new location. 

Duncan said they sought a location "that was still in an iconic building of some sort, still at the top of the town."

Ultimately, a suitable space was found a mere 120 metres from the original site. 

"We've been really lucky. Our landlord has worked to bring it up to scratch. And we've got wall plans, some beautiful plans," Diana said.

Duncan added, "And it'll look the exact same from the outside just about as our current building is."

The move involves relocating thousands of books. 

The bookshop has appealed to its customer base, publishers, and authors for assistance. 

Duncan Johnston explained the logistics: "We'll physically move them out of one shop, book by book up to the other shop."

 Diana Johnston added that "we will make a human chain".

Hill of Content will operate at 86 Bourke Street until the end of the month, with the new location scheduled to open on July 12.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.