Maldon Pottery was established in 1973 by Neville Wilson (1946-1996), Tom Metcalf (1948- ) and Graham Masters (1950- ) in a mud brick building on Barringhup Road, Maldon, Victoria. Tom Metcalf and Graham Masters Masters graduated from Bendigo College of Advanced Education all Bendigo graduates. Wilson (1946-1996) graduated in 1967, then spent a couple of years in Europe and the UK, working with David Eeles and Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, before qualifying as a teacher at the Technical Teachers' College, Toorak in 1970. In 1971 he was involved in setting up the Barambah Pottery at the Cherbourg Settlement in Qld. In 1972-73 he lectured at the Bendigo College of Advanced Education (later LaTrobe University Bendigo). Wilson was a skilled drawer and did all the brushwork. Metcalf (1948- ) graduated in 1968, did two years' work experience at Non-porite in Melbourne, then worked as a thrower and decorator at Bendigo Pottery from 1971-73. He is T.M. on Epsom ware. Masters (1950- ) graduated in 1973 and established the Enterprise Pottery at Myers Flat with Morris Hesse in 1974, so must have joined the partnership later than the others. He left in 1984 to set up his own Sweenies Creek Pottery. Metcalf left in the late 1980s, leaving Wilson to operate the pottery by himself until his death in 1996. As well as using the Maldon Pottery stamp, Wilson signed some of his work with his name or an impressed 'N'. Photograph of a hand thrown lidded sugar or jam pot, with glaze design depicting an Australian landscape in the 'continuous trees' pattern, and birds on the lid. He has a 'Maldon Pottery' mark on the base. maldon pottery, ceramics, australian studio pottery, neville wilson

Koch's Pioneer Quartz Mining and Crushing Company was officially registered on June 30th., 1871 (Government Gazette No. 45, 1871). It operated at Long Gully, the first Manager was Andrew Lewis. Nominal capital was 90,000 pounds in thirty thousand shares of 3 pounds each. The initial partnership in a quartz crushing plant between Henry Koch, Simon Albert and Charles Wallin was dissolved in 1860 with Koch becoming the sole owner. In 1866 the crushing plant consisted of a 50 hp engine and 48 stamping heads capable of crushing 600 tons of quartz per week. By 1902 there were 72 stamps and this was by far the largest crushing plant in the area, serving many quartz mines. Henry Koch (1800-1889) was a German sailor who signed off when his ship reached Melbourne in 1851. Having heard of the gold discovery he proceeded to Bendigo where he was initially employed in puddling in the Myers Flat area. He was soon employed and then made partner in a quartz crushing plant that he became sole owner of in 1860. He was also landlord at the British and American Hotel and the Silver Mines Hotel. HE also started the Perseverance United gold claim. He married Anna Maria Theresia Heinz in 1857. In 1872 he sold the crushing plant for 75,000 pounds and took his family back to Germany. He resumed his trade as a ship builder although he maintained many Bendigo mining interests.Two sepia coloured images on paper, possibly taken from book. Top image: Koch's 'Pioneer' Quartz Crushing Works - Long Gully, printed under image. Image shows mining dam in foreground, large two storey mine building in middle background, two mine chimney on right hand side. Bottom image; interior of crushing battery. Printed on bottom ' Quartz Crushing Batteries & etc. Koch's Pioneer'. gold mining, koch's pioneer crushing battery, long gully, perseverance g.m. co., henry koch