The Story Behind My Doll Cottage: A Family Legacy of Love and Preservation

Every great story has a beginning, and the story of My Doll Cottage starts with my mum, Sharon Hovey.

Growing up in the South-West of Western Australia, in a small town, in the south west, Mum developed a deep appreciation for the things she was given. Her parents, Tom and Valma Harnett, were hardworking Aussie battlers of Irish and English heritage, and their family history stretches back five generations to Australind and Albany. The values of resilience and care were ingrained in her from an early age.

Mum cherished every toy she was given— grandma would say she never play with them instead they were prized posession meticulously cared fand treasured. Even today, she still owns some of her childhood toys, including her Kadar doll and a beloved paper doll collection. These early influences instilled in her a passion for preserving beautiful things, and over the years, that passion only grew stronger.

A Home Filled with Treasures

With six children in our family, our house was always busy, but there was one constant—Mum’s ever-growing collection of dolls and toys. When I was three, we moved to Australind, into the home my parents built in the early 80s. That’s where Dad built Mum’s first custom display cabinet—a massive jarrah look cabinet with glass panels that stretched across the entire living room wall. Each of us kids had our favourites, but the collection itself was always Mum’s pride and joy.

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In 1999, my parents built their current home just outside town. A new cabinet was built, bigger then the last, in solid jarrah design by a friend and talented local woodturner, John Ablett from Feature Wood Gallery Australind.

As life got busier, Mum’s collecting slowed down, with new additions mostly being gifts or sentimental pieces that reminded her of her grandchildren. Little did we know, her collecting days were far from over. No longer helping us by caring for our children, her grandchildren, mums passion would be reignited once more.

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Introducing Mum to Facebook Marketplace – A Game-Changer

Fast forward to 2019—everything changed when we introduced Mum to Facebook Marketplace and online shopping. It wasn’t long before she stumbled upon a massive doll collection for sale in Bridgetown. The photos loaded slowly by it’s current owner, but with each new image, the collection grew.

Dad, always supportive, casually said: “If you want them, I’ll build you a museum.” Famous last words.

With Dad’s encouragement and the help of my sister-in-law (who, unlike me, didn’t try to talk her out of it), Mum made the purchase. And so, the dream of a dedicated Doll museum was born.

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With love
Shyloh

Tales from the youngest daughter of a doll collector — raised on Milo, Vegemite, and more antiques than a country op shop.

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