Baxter's Antiques

History

Sometime in the 1880’s, Neil Baxter, a Glasgwegian mastercraftsman specialising in cabinetmaking, moved to Townsville and started a business that was, by 1908, a “Complete House Furnishing Warehouse”.

He was followed by his younger brother Duncan and Duncan’s family. In 1908 the business passed to Duncan Baxter who was commissioned by the Townsville Council to manufacture the main boardroom table for the Council chambers where it still stands. Duncan died in World War I, the building was sold, and the family moved to Brisbane in 1923.

In 1977 in Brisbane, Andrew Baxter was apprenticed to Robert Keyes, mastercraftsman in cabinetmaking and restoration. Andrew learned the trade of cabinetmaking, as well as the finer arts of restoration and reproduction.

When Andrew finished his apprenticeship with Robert Keyes Antiques he became a mastercraftsman in his own right starting Baxter’s Antique Restorations & Reproductions, first in Coorparoo, then in Logan Road, Buranda for 16 years.

When “progress” required the site of the old State Jam factory to be demolished, Andrew moved to Archerfield in 2002 with his Restorations & Reproductions.

Andrew's skill in restoration has lead him to do work for The University of Queensland, restoring the large dining table in the main dining room of The Customs House. (Working on large tables seems to be a family thing.) The Brisbane Girls Grammar School and The Queensland Teachers' Union are among his many other clients, both institutional and private, working on large and small period pieces. He has also restored furniture for many of Brisbane’s leading dealers.

Around 2001 Andrew restored some family treasures for Feona and their friendship was formed. In late 2003, with Feona’s love of Bric-a-Brac, and Andrew’s passion for furniture, Baxter’s Antiques was founded.

Feona Walker’s interests lie in history and books; she was a professional librarian/researcher in both public and university libraries, in Australia and England. Her interest in history is on how the ordinary folk, particularly the craftsmen and craftswomen, of any period, lived and worked. Feona’s family has included carpenters, metalworkers, ceramics painters, glass cutters, and collectors of all sorts. So her knowledge has come from a variety of sources, leading to the successful partnership with Andrew.