Photograph, Isaac Abraham's Shop at 213 Mair Street, Ballarat, 2019

Physical description

Issac Abraham was born in Ballarat in 1864. His pawnbroker shop was built in 1822. It sold Gold buying, pawnbroker, jewellery, sporting goods, footwear, and clothing.

The traditional symbols of the pawnbroker, the three balls or spheres, date back to the Medici family of Florence who slayed a giant using three bags of rocks. The three-ball symbol became the family crest and since the Medicis were so successful in the financial, banking, and moneylending industries, other money lenders and eventually pawnbrokers also adopted the symbol.

Abraham's son Elias and grandson John followed him into the family business until 1995 when it finally closed its doors.

Back to top