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Behind a very large door in a house in Tea Gardens there’s a room which is home to what can only be described as a remarkable collection of dolls and teddy bears.

There are so many dolls that not even collector and creator Olga Leary knows just how many she owns, but it would have to be in the thousands.

“I’ve got so many dolls, people started asking me when I was going to start showing them to the public,” Olga told News Of The Area.

There are beaded dolls, dolls that date back to the last century, baby dolls, grandma dolls, so many dolls that it is truly an overwhelming collection.

“I cannot leave anything alone, I have to fix it, dress it,”

“My husband used to help me and he was just as engrossed as I was,” Olga said.

“He’d find a doll in an op shop and he’d say you don’t have this one.”

Sadly Olgas husband Tony passed away just over a year ago but she promised him she would eventually open her collection to the community.

Remarkably, 77 year old Olga only began creating and collecting dolls and teddies 5 years ago.

“As a child I only had one doll as I came from a very big family.”

“It was called a betty doll and my brother dropped it and broke it.”

“It was the one and only doll I had.”

She’s certainly made up for it now and wants the community to enjoy the fruits of her labours.

“I’m going to open the room to the public every Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm,” Olga said.

“There’ll be tea and coffee and all are welcome.”

Olga will ask for a $5 donation to cover the cost of the tea and coffee and her public liability insurance.

Her first open house at 3 Ayres Avenue in Tea Gardens is planned for Saturday 27 January.

You can contact Olga on 0499 876 675.

“I want to share what I’ve got with the public because I know they’ll love it as much as I do.”

By Margie TIERNEY