Doll lovers, look here: hundreds on display in a one-woman exhibition

With four brothers before her, Kaylin said her parents must have been fairly excited when she came along in 1949. Her mum began collecting dolls and used to show them.

Sadly, she died when Kaylin was only 18 but her daughter maintained the passion.

She now has a collection of more than 500, all of which will be displayed in the Bath House at The Foundations (Old Cement Works) in Portland, outside Lithgow, every weekend in November.

"The dolls have stayed with me for 50 years, and now with my children out of the house I can sort them, clean them, redress them if needed, have them restored," she said.

It was a friend who suggested Kaylin show the dolls.

"She is up in Queensland so she can't be down here, but she has helped me a great deal to get them ready," she said.

Kaylin said she loved the dolls as a child but had to put them away while raising her own five kids.

"I had no room for them, we've been in the same house for 50 years so there wasn't much room," she said.

But then Covid-19 hit and restrictions were put in place.

"Since Covid, we haven't been anywhere so this was the perfect time to get them all out and clean them and see what needed to be done," Kaylin said.

"It took a lot to get them all ready, some had really deteriorated, so it was six months of washing and cleaning them and we had plenty of time to do it, so Covid has been good in a way."

Kaylin has a variety of dolls including antique German, a pedigree baby doll, Walda dolls, a French boudoir doll in all-original clothing from 1930, a rare Shirley Temple porcelain made in Germany and more.

The dolls range from the 1880s through to the '90s.

"Many of the dolls have their original clothing, but those that don't are wearing materials that my mother gathered," she said.

Some are even wearing replicas or material that Kaylin wore as a child.

"We have kept material for over 50 years.

As for a favourite doll, there are too many to name.

"The pedigree baby doll is one of my top favourites since it was my baby doll as a child, but I do have lots of favourites," she said.

Lately, though, Walda dolls have become a passion buy.

"They're not the most beautiful dolls but they're made of porcelain from the '70s and '80s and have come a long way since they were first put on the market," she said.

"They are slowly building in popularity and I was lucky enough to get some of the brides in their original clothing."

On how she decides what doll to buy, Kaylin said she has to love it first.

"There is just something about it... it might not be the prettiest doll but you fell in love with it. If I didn't like it I wouldn't buy it."

Kaylin belongs to many doll Facebook groups and she said she has learnt a lot from them.

"The lady who does my doll restorations in Canberra, I honestly couldn't have done any of this without her.

"She really does fabulous work. We would work together and converse on what colour the dolls should wear, what materials, all of that."

Luckily, Kaylin had many of her mother's materials or old clothes of her own that the dolls could wear.

But it's not just dolls in her collection.

"We have this old pram from 1880 which is all original, the canopy is missing but the rest is how it was. We don't know how our mother got it, but it's a beautiful pram.

"We also have this high chair from the 1800s, and then this beautiful dolls house that my father made with all the decorations. It has been in the family for 70 years and I just wouldn't part with it."

Kaylin's father also made an accurate woodwork bedroom set from 1940s that she will have on display.

Kaylin will be selling some of the dolls.

"I want to make a little room, but I will be keeping my favourites, and I have way too many favourites!

"It's hard to part with them since they were Mum's dolls and she didn't get to enjoy them."

Kaylin will be showing the dolls between 10am and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, 14 and 15, and 21 and 22.

If you can't make these times but would like to see the dolls you can contact Kaylin on 0488-154-126 and she would be happy to open up her collection for you.