At the back of Flinders Street’s Platform1 are some stairs. Go down them and enter a world entirely in miniature. There are teeny trees, bridges, aeroplanes, cars and centimetre-tall construction workers. There are kites, tin toys and train-tracks leading to places in people’s minds.

The Hearns brothers established their hobby store in 1947. Both were pilots, flying for Australia during WWII. After the war they pursued their love of flying by building little kit planes, which they sold in their store. Over the years it grew to sell all other forms of transport.

‘Grandfathers bring in their grandsons - shopping where they used to shop.’ Says Ro, Hearns’ owner for 32 years. And there’s not many store owners who can say that.

295 Flinders Street, 9614 3603