Where is the National Museum of Australian Pottery?

I know what you are thinking, we have a National Museum of Australian Pottery?

The answer is yes. You’ll be interested to know it’s located in a little town called Holbrooke in NSW. A tiny town halfway from Sydney to Melbourne and home to a decommissioned Oberon-class submarine (including their own bespoke mini ceramic submarines!).

Unfortunately, I was told by the passionate owner we were unable to take photos of the collection. It appeared to be his personal life’s work to collect and display this collection behind secure sliding glass cabinets in an attempt to keep out the dust!

He had an extraordinary collection of Toby jugs, an 18th century English pub staple. There was also a great collection of functional, light brown and dark brown jugs, bowls and bottles.

It’s true, Australian ceramics started as primarily functional items (don’t they all?). However, I can’t help but wonder why we don’t seem to have a modern collection of pottery and ceramics in a dedicated building. Somewhere showcasing a period of Australian history where potters are creating innovative and joyful pieces with new and exciting design techniques, including colourful glazes.

With a booming ceramics industry for local makers, classes and home studios, I do wonder if there is an opportunity to formally capture some of this renewed interest and creativity in the ancient art of pottery.