When William Johnston was eight years old his grandmother gave him an 1811 Minton cup - no saucer, just the cup. That London shape cup, with its delicate little chicken bone handle, is still in the collection, and regarded as one of the most important pieces. With this gift the whole of the rest of William's life was shaped - he had caught the Collecting bug. By the time he was 14 years old one of his his aunts had given him £5.00 and he went to the famous antique jewellers in Melbourne, Kozminksy's and purchased a set of lustres. He was already fast developing an eye for beauty created by the harmonious balance of line and form. Whilst others were collecting Victoriana, William Johnston was collecting Georgian, Regency and French Empire furniture, ceramics and decorative arts.

William Johnston was born in 1911 in Lilydale, the son of a boot maker. William went to school in Kilmore, but at fourteen left to work as a window dresser in Buckley and Nunn, now David Jones. After the Second World War, which had so irrevocably impacted on the social fabric of the landed gentry, William travelled to Britain. Knocking on the doors of English Country houses he found that the owners, feeling the effects of new post war taxes and maintenance costs, were very happy to sell antiques, albeit discreetly, to a willing buyer. William Johnston sent antiques back to Australia in container loads.

In the 1970s with a shop in Greenwich in London and a shop in High Street, Armadale called "Kent Antiques", William Johnston decided he wanted the majority of his now vast antique collection to be available to the public after his death. He had enjoyed collecting it, he enjoyed using it and it was a source of immense satisfaction to him that his friends visited, enjoyed and discussed different aspects of it.

Ultimately a Charitable Trust was drafted to become effective after his death.

William Johnston generously endowed the Trust to ensure his dream of leaving a small house museum which could remain in perpetuity. The money is invested and the income used to assist with operational, maintenance and conservation expenses.

The Johnston Collection is an Independent Trust and its operations are overseen by four Trustees.