Carlton Ware was a famous Stoke-on-Trent based pottery manufacturer. The company was established in 1890 by James Frederick Wiltshaw, William Herbert Robinson and James Alcock Robinson trading under the name of Wiltshaw and Robinson. The trademark "Carlton Ware" was introduced in 1894, and the company's factory was renamed the Carlton Works. It reached its artistic high-point with superb hand-painted domestic pottery in high art deco styles during the 1920s and 1930.A china ornament representing a Heron or Egret'Carltonware'pottery, porcelain, craftwork, carlton ware, stoke on trent, wiltshaw james frederick, robinson william herbert, robinson james alcock, herron john, bentleigh, moorabbin, ormond, ornaments, early settlers

This Minton floor tile is from the wreck of the Loch Ard. The iron-hulled clipper ship from the Loch Line was heading for Port Phillip from London, when it ran into the cliffs of Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell. The Loch Ard was laden with high-value cargo including luxury goods intended for display at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. One notable survivor from the ship’s freight manifest was the well-packed Minton porcelain peacock, a two-meter high ceramic masterpiece of vivid glazed colours. (This is also on display in the Great Circle Gallery). The almost total loss of life and property from the Loch Ard registered as a shocking tragedy for the Colony of Victoria, at a time when social confidence and economic optimism were otherwise high. The wealth generated from Gold and Wool was increasingly being spent on grandiose private residences and imposing public buildings. The demand for quality furnishings and fittings was therefore strong. Among the products consigned to burgeoning colonial markets by the Milton Pottery at Stoke upon Trent, were their new range of colourfully patterned but very durable floor tiles ideal for the high-traffic spaces in the large civic buildings then being constructed in Australia and America. These floor tiles were “encaustic”, meaning that their designs and colours were encased “within” the depth of the tile. Rather than their decorative patterns being glazed onto the surface of the tile, their inlaid designs were created during the manufacturing process, as “coloured slips” (or liquid clay) were poured into a deep pre-moulded casting. When fired, the resulting tile was colour-fast and design-fast. The Minton floor tile is significant for its hard-wearing yet attractive design. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulations of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collections of objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. A square Minton floor tile with a white background, and beige, dark blue, light blue and black geometric pattern as well as leaves in the design. The tile has corner broken off and some chipping along the edges. The reverse has five rows of five evenly spaced holes. The back of the tile has inscriptions. Made by Minton & Co. at Stoke upon Trent. This encaustic floor tile was recovered from the shipwreck of the LOCH ARD. Branded "... MINTON&CO / PATENT / STOKE UPON TRENT"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, minton floor tile, encaustic tile, melbourne international exhibition, floor tile, minton tile, minton & co., stoke upon trent

Cream Glazed Porcelain Chamber Pot with butterfly wings and floral swag design on both sides with design extending into inside rim. handle has fine gold line around edgeon base of pot. Detroit, Stoke on Trent, 35. (85) with UT below the 85 on edge of pot. 1969 with a cresent moon shape above. a dash with thre pear shapes. with a bow and quiver trademark

The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/This bowl was made by renowned pottery company J & G Meakin of England. The firm was established in the mid-1800's. The bowl is an example of kitchenware used in the 19th century and still in use today.Bowl; white ceramic, round and tapering inwards towards base. Made by J and G Meakin England.On base, 'Ironstone China Reg SOL 391413' with symbolflagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, mixing bowl, food preparation, j & g meakin, pottery, stoke-on-trent, kitchen equipment, ceramic

The Royal Winton brand has always been synonymous with quality and design and has roots in Stoke-on-Trent, England that go back over one hundred years. Originally known as Grimwade Brothers it was founded by Leonard Lumsden Grimwade. Leonard had shown a natural talent for modelling pottery and it was in this field that his infant business began, in 1885. He was soon joined in the business by his older brother, Sidney Richard, another potter. The family of Daphne Sturt were early settlers in Moorabbin ShireCirca 1890 to 1900. A Grimwade's floral and black-patterned ceramic vase with detachable "frog" for holding flowers in place. The rim of the vase is trimmed with gold. On the bottom of the vase there is a Backstamp: Grimwade, Winton, Stoke-on-Trent, England. Made in England. The Grimwade's makers -mark is also present.grimwade leonard, ceramics, pottery, stoke-on-trent, early settlers, craftwork, moorabbin, brighton, ormond, sturt lesley, sturt daphne, bentleigh

This white oval plate with a dainty green border and self-pattern was made by the famous ceramics manufacturer Johnson Brothers of England. The pattern was patented on April 15th 1902. The serving plate is typical of dinnerware brought into Australia by migrants or importers of pottery and used in Australian households, giving many years of service. The Johnson Brothers firm was established by Frederick Johnson in 1883, at works in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Frederick was later joined by his brothers Henry and Robert. The company's focus was to supply the export market. In 1968 the company became part of the Wedgewood Group. J. & G. Meakin Eagle Pottery temporarily took over the tableware division in 2000, and China took over all Johnson Bros. products in 2003. All of the Wedgewood Group was taken over by Fiskers in 2015, who discontinued the Johnson Brothers line of products. This serving plate is an example of domestic crockery used in Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originated from England and was made by a well-known ceramic manufacturer.Plate, oval, earthenware, scalloped edge with impressed pattern and border of small green leaves. Maker's mark and name is on reverse. Pattern was patented on April 15th 1902. Made by Johnson Bros. of England.Maker's Mark; [Crown symbol] above "JOHNSON BROS, ENGLAND" "PATD APRIL 15TH 1902"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, dinnerware, serving plate, johnson bros, english serving plate, green leaf border, oval plate, platter, chinaware, plateware, crockery, chine, porcelain, earthenware

This Minton floor tile is from the wreck of the Loch Ard and is currently on display in the Great Circle Gallery at Flagstaff Hill. The iron hulled clipper ship from the Loch Line was heading for Port Phillip from London, when it ran into the cliffs of Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell. The Loch Ard was laden with a high value cargo including luxury goods intended for display at the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. One notable survivor from the ship’s freight manifest was the well packed Minton porcelain peacock, a two meter high ceramic masterpiece of vivid glazed colours. (This is also on display in the Great Circle Gallery). The almost total loss of life and property from the Loch Ard registered as a shocking tragedy for the Colony of Victoria, at a time when social confidence and economic optimism were otherwise high. Wealth generated from Gold and Wool was increasingly being spent on grandiose private residences and imposing public buildings. The demand for quality furnishings and fittings was therefore strong. Among the products consigned to burgeoning colonial markets by the Milton pottery at Stoke upon Trent, were their new range of colourfully patterned but very durable floor tiles ideal for the high-traffic spaces in the large civic buildings then being constructed in Australia and America. These new floor tiles were “encaustic”, meaning that their designs and colours were encased “within” the depth of the tile. Rather than their decorative patterns being glazed onto the surface of the tile, their inlaid designs were created during the manufacturing process, as “coloured slips” (or liquid clay) were poured into a deep pre-molded casting. When fired, the resulting tile was colours-fast and design-fast. The Minton floor tile is significant for its hard-wearing yet attractive design. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register ( S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulations of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck of which the subject items are a small part. The collections of objects give us a snapshot of how we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's social and historical themes of the time. Through is associated with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. A square Minton floor tile with a dark brown, beige and white pattern. The tile has a piece broken off along one side and some chipping along the edges. This ‘encaustic’ floor tile was recovered from the shipwreck of the LOCH ARD. Branded "... MINTON&CO Patent ..."flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, loch line, loch ard, captain gibbs, eva carmichael, tom pearce, glenample station, mutton bird island, minton floor tile, encaustic tile, melbourne international exhibition, floor tile

Victorian Railways Bread Plate - Black & White Maker : W H Grindley & Co (Ltd) Earthenware manufacturer at the Newfield Pottery and then the Woodfield Pottery, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent The company was founded at the Newfield Pottery in 1880 by William Harry Grindley (princliple partner) and Mr Turner (the '& Co.') They produced Earthenware and Ironstone China - particularly for the Canadian, United States, South American and Australian markets. In 1891 the company moved to the Woodfield Pottery, Woodland Street, Tunstall. In 1960 the business was purchased by Alfred Clough Ltd. In 1978 renamed Grindley of Stoke (ceramics) Ltd. Federated Potteries Co. Ltd. took them over in 1982 and in 1988 the business was re-purchase by W. H. Grindley. 1991 saw the company in the hands of the receivers. and the same year they were taken over by Woodlands Pottery. DURALINE (trade mark) printed mark used by Grindley Hotel Ware Co Ltd c.1930's onwards The Number i.e "6-53" = "month-year" Supplier to Victorian railways : Loftus Moran, Melbourne: Mr Loftus Henry Moran was well known in the tea trade. Originally employed by Griffiths Bros Ltd, he started his own business, Loftus Moran Pty Ltd, in 1909 In 1913 he purchased the tea business of Mcintyre Bros, and later' that of Steele Bros, and absorbed them in his own company. He had a wide business connection among hotels and guest houses for supplying crockery and other supplies. Ref: DEATH OF MR LOFTUS MORAN (1944, May 27). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11809686 1st Advertisement of the Plates in the papers: CHIPPED CROCKERY. Nothing is more objectionable than chipped crockery--besides its use is illegal. DURALINE Plates, manufactured by The Grindley Hotel Ware Co., are tough as raw-hide. This is why they are used by practically every hotel and institution in Australia. Obtainable only from LOFTUS MORAN PTY. LTD., Hotel Supply Specialists, 131 Queen's Bridge Street, Melbourne South Advertising (29 March 1933, ). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. ), p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4726734Historic - Victorian Railways - Refreashment Services crockery - plateceramic Victorian Railways Bread Plate - Black & White Victorian Railways ( in black on fount of plate ) "DURALINE" ( in Black on back of plate ) super Vitrified GRINDLEY HotelWare Co England Loftus Moran Pty Ld Melbourne 8 -53puffing billy, victorian railways, crockery, plate

Earthenware is lightly fired, readily absorbs water if not glazed, and does not allow light to pass through it. Coarse earthenware is made from clay and grog (ground up fired pot). There are two main types of glazed earthenware: One is covered with a transparent lead glaze; when the earthenware body to which this glaze is applied has a cream colour, the product is called creamware. The second type, covered with an opaque white .in glaze, is variously called tin-enamelled, or tin-glazed, earthenware, majolica, faience, or delft. G&S marking could be Grove & Stark, Longton, England (1871-1884). In the 19th century, J. & G. Meakin ,1851 based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was known for the vast quantities of cheap ironstone china it produced for the domestic English market and for export to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Grove & Stark were taken over by Meakin early 20thC The Mark could also be Gibson & Sons (Ltd), were notably manufacturers of earthenware Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. Founded around 1885 and traded until the mid 1970's. They were previously Gibson, Sudlow & Co. Manufactured between 1885 to 1905. Small earthen-ware, black-glazed tea-pot. 8 sided. The body of the tea-pot is decorated with hand-painted gold flowers and raised cream flowers. The lid is also hand -painted with green leaves and flowers. This floral pattern is named "Garland" The lid is not of the same pattern as the base. The spout was broken when brush tailed possum entered Cottage via chimney 27/4/2014. Can be repairedOn the base of the tea-pot. Makers Mark is G & S. "Garland". (Pattern), Rg. No. 175153. Also 'Made in England'. Under glaze there is the word: England.crockery, earthenwarre, gibson & son ltd, grove & stark ltd, pioneers, early settlers, bentleigh, market gardeners, moorabbin, cheltenham, pottery, stoke- on - trent, england, longton, burslem, wedgwood

This majestic peacock embodies technical achievement, skill and ingenuity of artisans during the 19th century. It is now known as the 'Loch Ard Peacock' and was designed and modelled in 1873 by Paul Comolera (1818-1897), and fired in one piece at the Minton factory at Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom in 1875. The peacock has been portrayed in symbolic motifs and has figured heavily in folktales and fables since antiquity, and many cultures around the world see it as a symbol of beauty, rebirth and power. Wealthy Victorians, loved majolica, and the large peacock would have been the ultimate home accessory, as a conservatory ornament – combining their desire for nature, the exotic and vibrant colours. The peacock model was listed in catalogues by Minton & Co. for a retail price of 35 guineas or sold as a pair for 90 guineas. Minton & Co. was founded in 1793 by Thomas Minton (1765–1836) and became famous pottery and porcelain manufacturers. Comolera was a French artist and sculptor, renowned for dramatic naturalistic forms, and life-size renditions of birds and animals that won him admiration in public and artistic circles. He was employed by Minton & Co. from 1873 to 1880, and the life-sized peacock became his best known work. Comolera, kept a live peacock loaned from the nearby Duke of Sutherland's Trentham Hall Estate in his studio, to create a life-size model of fine buff earthenware model, which was then hand painted in brilliantly coloured green and blue glazes to mimic the peafowl’s dazzling plumage. There are no surviving production records, but according to documents in the Minton Archive, nine peacocks were made by Comolera. However, today some historians now believe that twelve were fired at the Minton factory, research is still on-going. These peacocks were so admired that the Minton & Co. used them as exhibition showpieces at International Exhibitions in London, Paris, and the United States of America, assuring the company had a worldwide reputation. So, when Melbourne hosted an International Exposition in 1880, Minton & Co. sent out ceramics, tiles and in particular, this peacock was intended to be part of their exhibit in the British Court in the Exhibition Building, built in the Carlton Gardens. The early dispatch date (1878) indicates that the company may have intended to exhibit their wares including the peacock at the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition, but the company did not take up this option. The ship that Minton & Co. used to bring the peacock and their other wares to the Australian colonies was the ill-fated Loch Ard, which sunk after striking Mutton Bird Island near Port Campbell, Victoria in calm foggy weather in June 1878 on the final leg on the ships journey to Melbourne. The loss of 52 lives made it one of Victoria’s worst shipwrecks. Therefore, this peacock never made it to the grand exposition in Melbourne, as Minton & Co. had planned. Charles McGillivray dragged this peacock, still in its original packing case onto the beach in the gorge just two days after the Loch Ard went down. The peacock was rescued unscathed apart from a chip on its beak (only repaired in 1988). After a disagreement with Melbourne Customs Officer, Joseph Daish, McGillivray stopped his salvage operations, leaving the peacock on the beach. The second salvagers were James Miller and Thomas Keys. Miller was a member of the firm Howarth, Miller and Matthews, Geelong, who had brought the salvage rights to the Loch Ard wreck on 10 June. When Miller and Keys arrived at the wreck site, a storm had washed many of the salvaged goods including this peacock back into the sea. The two men found the peacock in its case ‘bobbing along in the water’, and pulled it back to the beach. To ensure the peacock wasn't washed out to sea again, Miller and Keys hauled the packing case containing the peacock up the gorge's cliff face to the top, ready to be transported. In an interview in 1928, Keys claimed that at the time of the rescue the head had broken from the body. This account was proven to be true in 1988, following the birds display in Brisbane. This peacock began its life in Australia, not in grandeur of an International Exhibition as intended, but in the hallway of a simple domestic house in Geelong. It appears Minton &Co. did not attempt to buy this peacock back. Florence Miller, daughter of James Miller (Loch Ard salvage rights holder), later remarked that the only item of real value rescued from the wreck had been the peacock and that this had been kept by her father in the family home for many years, and became a treasured family possession. As such, this 'Loch Ard peacock' was almost forgotten and mistaken with other Minton peacocks around the world. Florence tried to sell the peacock due to financial difficulties in the 1930s but was unsuccessful. While attempting to sell the peacock, it was displayed in the window of the Argus newspaper office on Collins Street, and at the National Museum on 1st June 1935, the date of the 57th anniversary of the Loch Ard wreck. As a result, the peacock again attracted public attention with books, newspaper and magazine articles being published telling the story of its survival from a shipwreck. After Miller's death, the peacock remained in an antique dealer's shop in Melbourne for many years until it was bought at auction by Frank Ridley-Lee, in the 1940s, who displayed the bird at his home in Ivanhoe/Heidelberg. The peacock remained in the hands of the Ridley-Lee, until it was offered for sale in 1975 as part of Mrs Ridley-Lee's estate. In 1975, an advertisement in Melbourne newspaper, the Age announced the sale by auction of the art collection of the Ridley-Lee estate that included this peacock. The peacock was not sold at this time, as the reserve price of $4500 was not met. This news was passed on to the board of the newly created Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Urgent efforts were made to raise the necessary funds through fundraising by the Warrnambool City Council and public donations. The Fletcher Jones Company and the Victorian Government contributed half of the of the cost. On 9 September 1975, the peacock was purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, and it found a new home at the maritime museum. Since, it has only left Warrnambool twice. Firstly, in 1980 at the centenary celebrations of the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, and secondly, in 1988, the peacock was given pride of place at the entrance to the Victorian Pavilion at the Brisbane World Expo, acknowledging that this Minton majolica peacock is the most significant shipwreck object in Australia. The Minton majolica peacock is considered of historical social and aesthetic significance to Victoria and is one of only a few 'objects' registered on the Victorian Heritage Register (H 2132), as it is a most notable and rare object associated with the Minton factory of the 1870s and works by the celebrated sculptor Paul Comolera along with the wreck of the Loch Ard on the Victorian coastline. This Minton peacock is historically significant for its rarity; it was one of only 9-12 known to exist. The shipwreck of the Loch Ard is also of significance for Victoria and is registered on the Victorian Heritage Register Ref (S 417). Flagstaff Hill has a varied collection of artefacts from Loch Ard and its collection is significant for being one of the largest accumulation of artefacts from this notable Victorian shipwreck. The collections object is to also give us a snapshot into history so we can interpret the story of this tragic event. The collection is also archaeologically significant as it represents aspects of Victoria's shipping history that allows us to interpret Victoria's early social and historical themes. The collection is historically significant is that it is associated, unfortunately with the worst and best-known shipwreck in Victoria's history. The peacock, resplendent in polychrome glaze, stands perched on a rocky plinth decorated with vines, leaves, flowers, blackberries and wild mushrooms. The peacock’s breast is cobalt blue; the wings and legs are in naturalistic colours. The tail is a mass of feathers coloured in green, ochre blue and brown — a fantastic display of artistry and Minton expertise. Inscribed at the base :P Comolera, and a Minton & Co. design number: 2045.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, loch ard, loch ard gorge, peacock, paul comolera, victorian heritage register, minton peacock, minton & co., stoke upon trent, bird figures, mintons, ceramics, international expositions, majolica, naturalistic, staffordshire

One small Broadhurst Dickens Series side plate Mr Pickwick Glides One large dinner plate. Both have white background and oak tree branches as border. Small plate illustration in centre is of people sliding on ice. Large plate centre illustration is David Copperfield + friends on a horse buggy riding bthrough town.Front of smaller plate - Mr Pickwick Glides Front of larger plate - My first fall in life - David Copperfield Back of both "Ironstone Broadhurst Staffordshire England. Dickens series underglaze... plates pottery broadhurst domestic-items china

This plate has been produced by the English firm of W.H.Grindley for use at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool. The Criterion Hotel was on the western side of Kepler street near Lava Street and was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. The hotel closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. The Humm family had a long association with the Criterion Hotel, with George Humm of Woodford taking over as the licensee in 1882 and buying the hotel in 1887 and remaining there until his death in 1894. George Humm’s widow, Elizabeth, was the licensee from 1894 to 1907, her son, John was the licensee from 1907 to 1916 and his widow, Bridget, was the licensee from 1916 to 1919. The plate could have been in use for all or part of these years but is most likely to have been bought early in the 20th century. This plate is of considerable interest because it came from the Criterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years.This is a white china plate which has a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt (the maker’s trademark) on the front and on the back it has the blue markings of the maker with an image of a crown. The bowl has a shallow base and was perhaps a soup plate. The edges of the plate are somewhat worn and scuffed. ‘Humms Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Grindley Hotel Ware England Vitrified’ criterion hotel, humm family of woodford, history of warrnambool

This plate has been made by the Globe Pottery Company in England and supplied by the china merchant firm of John Dynon and Sons of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. As it has the mark ‘Cobridge’ on the back of the plate, it was made before 1934. It was used at the Warrnambool Criterion Hotel which was on the western side of Kepler Street near Lava Street. This hotel was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. It closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. During the first 30 years of the 20th century licensees at the Criterion Hotel included members of the Humm family, Theresa Lynch and Henry and Margaret McGennan. The plate could have been used for all or part of these times and even at a later date. This plate is of considerable interest because it came from the Cruterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years.This is a circular white china plate with a shallow base probably used as a soup plate. It has a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt on the front edge and on the back it has the grey markings of the maker.‘Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Globe Pottery Co. Ltd. Cobridge, England, Vitrified, John Dynon &Sons, Melbourne’ criterion hotel, history of warrnambool, humm family, woodford, theresa lynch, mcgennan family

This plate has been made by the Globe Pottery Company of England and supplied by the china merchant firm of John Dynon and Sons of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It was used at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool. The Criterion Hotel, situated on the western side of Kepler Street near Lava Street, was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. The hotel closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2010. This plate, being marked with the name ‘Cobridge’, was made before 1934. In the first three decades of the 20th century the licensees at the Criterion Hotel were members of the Humm family, Theresa Lynch, Henry McGennan and Margaret McGennan. The dinner plate could have been used for all or part of these years and could have been used later as well. This plate is of considerable interest as it was used at the Criterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years. This is a circular white china plate with a rim and a slight indentation at the base. There is a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt on the top edge and the grey stamp of the maker on the bottom of the plate. This plate was probably used as a small dinner plate. There are a few small imperfections and stains on this plate.‘Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Globe Pottery Co. Ltd. Cobridge England Vitrified, John Dynon & Sons, Melbourne’ humm family, mcgennan family, theresa lynch, criterion hotel, history of warrnambool

These dishes were part of a crockery set used in the George Rolfe household at Lyndoch, Warrnambool. George Rolfe (1836-1919) was a Melbourne tea merchant who acquired land at the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool from the 1880s on as a holiday home. He developed the property over the years, adding a windmill and reservoir, bone and chaff sheds, a stable, jetty and boathouse and an extensive garden. In 1891 he married Mrs Annie Lake and it was his stepdaughter, Florence Lake who built the house, Lyndoch in the 1920s. This building today forms part of an Aged Care Facility. This item is part of the larger Rolfe dinner set as described on Victorian Collections at VC001421 and VC001422These dishes are of importance as they belonged to the George Rolfe family of Lyndoch, Warrnambool. They demonstrate the quality of the household goods used by more affluent families in the second half of the 19th century. These are four china serving dishes or plates which are part of a set of crockery used in the Rolfe Lyndoch household in Warrnambool. The dishes have a circular base with a circular dish resting on the base. The dishes have or had two handles with these handles and the edges of the dishes being gold trimmed. Around the rim of the dishes is a pattern of loops and dots etc of teal and gold. One dish (.1) has no handles, one dish (.4) has one handle only and two dishes are cracked (.3 & .4) . Two dishes are stained, one severely (.2 & .4) ‘Minton’ george rolfe, florence lake

These saucers are part of a crockery set that belonged to George Rolfe and his family. George Rolfe (1836-1919) was a tea merchant in Melbourne who bought land at the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool in the 1880s. He had adjoining land and the properties of ‘Shipley’ and ‘Fairy Hill’ and developed ‘Lyndoch’, adding stables, jetty, boat house, windmill and reservoir, chaff and bone sheds and an extensive garden. In 1891 he married Annie Lake and it was his stepdaughter, Florence Lake who built the ‘Lyndoch’ house still standing today. ‘Lyndoch’ today is now the site of an Aged Care Facility. This item is part of the Rolfe Dinnerset as described on Victorian Collections at VC001420 and VC001422.These saucers, part of a crockery set, are kept because they belonged to George Rolfe, a prominent property owner and farmer in Warrnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The items, dating from 1864, have social significance showing the type of crockery used by a more affluent family in the 19th century. These are six circular china saucers with a gold rim and ornamentation in a scallop design in gold and teal around the rim and the outer edges. The base of the saucers has a gold rim. One of the saucers has a chip on the edge and four show significant wearing of the inner gold circle. Some of the outside gold edging also shows wear. The maker’s marks and name are indented on the bottom of the saucers ‘Minton’ lyndoch, warrnambool, rolfe and co., george rolfe, history of warrnambool, florence lake

These dishes were part of a crockery set used in the George Rolfe household at Lyndoch, Warrnambool. George Rolfe (1836-1919) was a Melbourne tea merchant who acquired land at the mouth of the Hopkins River in Warrnambool from the 1880s on as a holiday home. He developed the property over the years, adding a windmill and reservoir, bone and chaff sheds, a stable, jetty and boathouse and an extensive garden. In 1891 he married Mrs Annie Lake and it was his stepdaughter, Florence Lake who built the house, Lyndoch in the 1920s. This building today forms part of an Aged Care Facility. This item is part of the larger Rolfe dinner set as described on Victorian Collections at VC001421 and VC001422These cups are part of a crockery set, and are kept because they belonged to George Rolfe, a prominent property owner and farmer in Warrnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The items, dating from 1864, have social significance showing the type of crockery used by a more affluent family in the 19th century.Four small white cups decorated with aqua band around the top of each cup . A scalloped pattern of dots are suspended from the solid band which is decorated with a row of gold dots. There is a gold rim at the base of the cup.Mintonrolfe, lyndoch, warrnambool, minton cups, mrs annie lake

These two serving dishes or tureens have been made by the English firm of Myott, Son & Co. early in the 20th century (Art Nouveau design). Ashley Myott established the business in 1898 and later his brother joined the business. In 1976 the firm merged with the Alfred Meakin Company but today it is owned by the Churchill Pottery Group. The dishes have no known local provenance. These dishes are kept because they are attractive items in good order and examples of the type of dishes bought for use in the more affluent households early in the 20th century They will be useful for display purposes These are two identical china serving dishes with lids. The bases of the dishes are circular with the bowl section having twelve-sided edges and two handles with black patterns. The tops of the bowl have two black lines around the edges with two ornamental patterns in red, grey and black on the top edges. The lids also have twelve sided edges and have the same black lines, four of the coloured designs and handles with black patterning. On the bases are a gold-coloured crown with the maker’s details. ‘Myott, Son & Co. Ltd.’ myott & co, art nouveau, warrnambool, art nouveau serving dishes

This plate has been produced by the English firm of W.H.Grindley for use at the Criterion Hotel in Warrnambool. The Criterion Hotel was on the western side of Kepler Street near Lava Street and was established in 1872 with the first licensee being John Tate. The hotel closed in 2008, was partially destroyed by fire in 2010 and was demolished in 2013. The Humm family had a long association with the Criterion Hotel with George Humm of Woodford taking over as licensee in 1882, buying the hotel in 1887 and remaining there until his death in 1894. George Humm’s widow, Elizabeth, was the licensee from 1894 to 1907, her son, John, was the licensee from 1907 to 1916 and his widow, Bridget, was the licensee from 1916 to 1919. The plate could have been in use for all or part of these years but is most likely to have been bought early in the 20th century. This plate is of considerable interest because it came from the Criterion Hotel, a prominent hotel in Warrnambool for over 130 years. This is a white china plate which has been broken into three pieces and inexpertly mended. The plate is much stained. It has a red embedded stamp in the shape of a belt (the maker’s trademark) on the front and on the back it has the blue markings of the maker with an image of a crown. The bowl has a shallow curved base and was perhaps used for soup. ‘Humms Criterion Hotel Warrnambool’ ‘Grindley Hotel Ware England Vitrified’ criterion hotel, humm family of woodford, history of warrnambool

This is a dish or pin tray sold in Warrnambool as a souvenir of the city. It features Shelly Beach, one of the popular picnic spots, especially in the first half of the 20th century. This dish was made by Royal Stafford China and was presumably produced with a plain centre so that an illustration of a tourist spot in Australia could be reproduced on the dish. There were many similar items produced by Royal Stafford China that featured Warrnambool scenes and were selling in Warrnambool in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. They were all good quality items and so many have survived today. They were useful as well as decorative – vases, plates, cups and saucers etc. Some business houses in Warrnambool also had Royal Stafford China souvenir items featuring the business name to sell or give away to customers. Tourism in Warrnambool has always been an important aspect of the city and this souvenir dish is a good example of the souvenir items on sale in the first five or six decades of the 20th century. It will be useful for display. This is a small white china dish or pin tray with a colour sketch (taken from a photograph?) of Shelly Beach in Warrnambool. The illustration covers most of the dish which has a gold edging. The bottom of the dish has the name and symbol of its maker. ‘Royal Stafford China Made in England’ tourism in warrnambool, royal stafford china

This is a porridge set which probably dates from the early years of the 20th century. Porridge bowls and cups were particularly popular in Scotland at that time and would have been used in households in Australia throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. These items have no known local provenance but are of interest as an example of the household china that was in use 100 years ago and was still being used for many decades after that time. They are attractive items and will be useful for display. These two items are a large cup and saucer made of china and used for porridge. The cup has colour floral and leaf scroll decorations inside the top rim, a piece of verse extolling the farmer and surrounded by black and white patterns, including farming implements, on one side of the cup and coloured farming implements in circles with the same verses in larger circles with a colour wheat sheaf in the centre on the other side of the cup. The saucer, more in the shape of a soup bowl, has the same colour floral and leaf decorations around the rim and the same farming patterns and verses in the centre. The handle has a black and white floral decoration The maker’s mark and name are on the bottom of the cup and saucer. ‘In God is Our Trust’ ‘The Farmers Arms’ history of warrnambool, porridge bowls

This cup and saucer set was issued as a souvenir of the opening of the Federal Parliament in Canberra in 1927. The building was opened by Prince Albert, the Duke of York who was accompanied by Elizabeth, the Duchess of York. The Duke of York later became King George VI of England. The colonies in Australia became Federated States in 1901 and from that date to 1927 the Australian Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne. When Canberra became the capital of Australia a Parliament House building was erected at a cost of £600,000 but it is now known as Old Parliament House as the present Parliament House was opened in 1988. This cup and saucer set is of interest as a memento of an important event in Australia’s history – the creation of a capital city and the opening of the first Federal Parliament House. It will be useful for display. This is a white china cup and saucer set. Both the cup and saucer have two gold bands around the rims and are decorated with black ornamentation and the portraits of the Duke and Duchess of York contained within gold oval patterns. There is also black lettering on both objects. The name of the maker is printed on the bottoms of both objects. On both objects: ‘The Federal Parliament opened by H.R.H. The Duke of York at Canberra 1927’ ‘Foley China E.B. & Co. Made in England’ opening of federal parliament 1927, history of warrnambool

This dish would have been used in the home either as a dish for some sort of food (perhaps jam) or in the bedroom as a container for small items such as hair clips or pins or even as a powder bowl. It is an attractive item and has been bought for its ornamental qualities. This item has no known local provenance but is retained for display as an attractive and high-quality item in use in households in the past. This is a pink china dish or bowl with a lid. The bowl is round with a black edging around the rim. There is a small crack on the side. The lid is circular with a raised top and a black line around the rim and a wide circular band of patterning of flowers, leaves and scrolls around the outer edge. The pink handle has a black edging. 'F & Sons Burslem England'warrnambool, china bowl

This item is one that was sold to tourists in Warrnambool in the mid to late 20th century. The dish has been mass produced in England and the image of Shelly Beach in Warrnambool added later, probably in Australia. As it is a Royal Stafford china piece it would have been a relatively costly item. It could have been bought for use in the buyer’s home or as a present for another person. Souvenir dishes such as this one have been popular souvenir items for tourists for over 100 years. Warrnambool, as a coastal location, has always been a tourist town and it remains today an important industry for the city. This dish is of interest as an example of the items sold to tourists in the mid 20th century. It will be useful for display.This is an oval-shaped china dish with fluted sides and a fluted edge and gold paint around the edge. The gold edging is partly worn off. The dish is white with a multi-coloured image set into the base of the dish. There is a crack on one side of the dish. On the base of the dish is a crown symbol and details of the manufacturer. ‘Shelly Beach, Warrnambool, Victoria’ “Royal Stafford China Made in England” tourism in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

The subject item is believed to be a "Chinese style stoneware liquor bottle used to store "Tiger Whiskey" (rice wine). These Chinese liquor bottles are made of glazed pottery known as brown stoneware and have been made throughout the centuries by many makers until well after American Prohibition. Later varieties from the mid 20th century are commonly found in the USA with the raised lettering "Federal Law Forbids Sale Or Re-use of this bottle" a sure sign of post-1934 manufacture. This example is interesting as it has a British Minton mark of two triangles on the base indicating a date of 1879 and was likely exported to Australia by Minton. These ceramic bottles virtually always have irregularities and flaws which indicate a product has been hastily manufactured, in any event, this is a fine example of a relatively common item that may have been copied by Minton and sold as a decorative domestic item for display or mass produced for storing liquor. Giles Family: The pair of ceramic bottles were given to Vera Giles by Jim Thompson and are just many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with Warrnambool and the Giles Family history. Items donated by the family have come to be known as the “Giles Collection”. Many items in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) who married in 1880 and whose photos are on display in the parlour. Henry was born at Tower Hill in 1858, and was a labourer on the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater before leaving in 1895 for around seven years to build bridges in NSW. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook and she attended Mailor’s Flat State School and where she eventually was to become a student teacher. After which she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, had once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family consisted of six, some of the children were born at Mailor’s Flat and later some children at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. A significant item of lead-glazed ceramic with the possibility it was made by the Minton potteries in England who were renowned for making quality pottery. The item style is in all probability a copy of a Chinese liquor bottle that was in common use throughout the British colonies and America up until the mid 20th Century. The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Museum was established.Chinese liquor bottle one of a pair, lead glazed ceramic, dark brown and blue/black. Part of the Giles Collection.Mark of a double triangle, apex touching, on base, (Minton mark for 1879).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, vase, pottery, ceramic ornament, domestic ware, late 19th - early 20th centuy ornament, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century household goods

Representative of ubiquitous tea/coffee cups used at MTSV Simple white glazed ironstone drinking cup, with handle in black ink: 1800-2010/DUDSON/FINEST VITRIFIED/4034/MADE IN STOCK-ON-TRENT/ENGLANDdomestic life, tableware, china

This item is an example of an item of domestic tableware commonly used in the first half of the 20th century.A white porcelain gravy boat with a pouring lip. It has a raised pattern. The handle is ear-shaped.On bottom -Ridgeways ENGLAND Royal Semi-Porcelain Guaranteed

The subject item is believed to be a "Chinese style stoneware liquor bottle used to store "Tiger Whiskey" (rice wine). These Chinese liquor jugs are made of glazed pottery known as brown stoneware and have been made throughout the centuries by many makers until well after American Prohibition. Later varieties from the mid 20th century are commonly found in the USA with the raised lettering "Federal Law Forbids Sale Or Re-use of this bottle" a sure sign of post-1934 manufacture. This example is interesting as it has a British Minton mark of two triangles on the base indicating a date of 1879 and was likely exported to Australia by Minton. These ceramic bottles virtually always have irregularities and flaws which indicate a product has been hastily manufactured, in any event, this is a fine example of a relatively common item that may have been copied by Minton and sold as a decorative domestic item for display or mass produced for storing liquor. Giles Family: The pair of ceramic bottles were given to Vera Giles by Jim Thompson and are just many 19th century items of furniture, linen and crockery donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village by, Vera and Aurelin Giles. The items are associated with Warrnambool and the Giles Family history. Items donated by the family have come to be known as the “Giles Collection”. Many items in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage were donated by Vera and Aurelin Giles and mostly came from the home of Vera’s parents-in-law, Henry Giles and his wife Mary Jane (nee Freckleton) who married in 1880 and whose photos are on display in the parlour. Henry was born at Tower Hill in 1858, and was a labourer on the construction of the Warrnambool Breakwater before leaving in 1895 for around seven years to build bridges in NSW. Mary Jane was born in 1860 at Cooramook and she attended Mailor’s Flat State School and where she eventually was to become a student teacher. After which she became a governess at “Injemiara” where her grandfather, Francis Freckleton, had once owned land. Henry and Mary’s family consisted of six, some of the children were born at Mailor’s Flat and later some children at Wangoom. They lived with their parents at Wangoom and Purnim west, and this is where Henry died in 1933 and Mary Jane in 1940. A significant item of lead-glazed ceramic with the possibility it was made by the Minton potteries in England who were renowned for making quality pottery. The item style is in all probability a copy of a Chinese liquor bottle that was in common use throughout the British colonies and America up until the mid 20th Century. The Giles family collection has social significance at a local level, because it illustrates the level of material support the Warrnambool community gave to Flagstaff Hill when the Museum was established.Chinese liquor bottle one of a pair, lead glazed ceramic, dark brown and blue/black. Part of the Giles Collection.Mark of a double triangle, apex touching, on base, (Minton mark for 1879).flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, vase, pottery, ceramic ornament, domestic ware, late 19th - early 20th centuy ornament, giles collection, henry giles, tower hill, cooramook, warrnambool breakwater, mailor’s flat, wangoom, 19th century household goods

The Process of Making Pottery Decorating, Firing, Glazing, Making, Technical There is a rhythm and flow to clay. It can’t be done all at once! Even the making process! It can take weeks to get everything done, especially if you can only work on your pottery once a week! Even though we have three hour classes, it’s often just not enough time! Here is an overview of some of the processes so you have a bit more grasp on some of the technical stuff! Step One – Design There are SO many ideas out there for making stuff in clay! From delicate porcelain jewellery, through to heavy sculptural work and everything in between. Deciding your direction is sometimes not that easy – when you first start, try everything, you will naturally gravitate to the style that you enjoy! The options and variations are endless and can get a wee bit overwhelming too! Check in with me before you start to ensure your ideas will work, what order you might do things, how you could achieve the look you are seeking and any other technical data required! Step Two – Making Clay is thixotropic. This means that as you work with it, the clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry in the atmosphere. For most things, you simply can’t do all parts of the project at once. An example of work order might look like: Get last weeks work out from the shelves Prepare clay for today’s work – roll your clay, prepare balls for throwing, make the first stage of a pinch pot) Clean up last week’s work and put it on the shelf for bisque firing Check that you have any glazing to do – and do enough of it that you will have time to finish your main project Do the next step of your next project – there might be a further step that can’t be complete immediately, in that case, wrap your work well and put onto the shelves. Letting your work rest for a while can really help keep your work clean and professional looking. Many things require bagging under plastic to keep it ready for work the next week – put your name on the outside of the bag so you can find your work easily. We have stickers and markers. Consider how you want to decorate your work – coloured slip can be applied at a fairly wet stage (remembering that it will make your work even wetter!). Trying to apply slip to dry clay won’t work! If you want to do sgraffito – you will need to keep the work leather hard (a state of dryness where you can still work the clay with a little effort and a little water and care). Step Three – Drying Most of the time your work can go into the rack uncovered to let it dry out for the following week. If you want to continue forming or shaping you will need to double bag your work – put your work on a suitable sized bat and put the bat in a bag so the base of the bag is under the bat, then put another bag over the top of the work and tuck the top of the bag under the bat. If you want to trim (or turn) your thrown work the following week, it should also be double bagged. If your work is large, delicate, or of uneven thicknesses, you should lightly cover your work for drying. When considering the drying process, bare in mind the weather, humidity and wind! The hotter and dryer, the faster things dry and work can dry unevenly in the shelves – this can lead to cracking – another time to lightly cover your work for drying. Step Four – Trimming and Cleaning Up Your work is dry! It is called greenware now and it is at it’s most fragile! Handle everything with two hands. I often refer to soft hands – keep everything gentle and with your fingers spread as much as possible. Try to not pick up things like plates too much, and always with both hands! Before your work can be bisque fired it should be “cleaned up”. You work won’t go into the kiln if it has sharp edges – when glazed, sharp edges turn into razor blades! Use a piece of fly wire to rub the work all over – this will scratch a little so be light handed. Use a knife or metal kidney to scrape any areas that require a bit more dynamic treatment than the fly wire offers! Finally, a very light wipe over with a slightly damp sponge can help soften and soothe all of your edges and dags! Trimming thrown work: If you are planning to trim (or turn) your thrown work (and you should be), make sure you bag it well – your work should be leather hard to almost dry for easiest trimming. Use this step to finish the work completely – use a metal kidney to polish the surface, or a slightly damp sponge to give a freshly thrown look. Wipe the sponge around the rim after trimming, and check the inside of the pot for dags! Trimming slip cast work: Usually I will trim the rims of your work on the wheel the following day to make that stage easier, however you will still need to check your work for lumps and bumps. Last but not least – check that your name is still clearly on the bottom of your work. Step Five – Bisque Firing When the work is completely dry it can go into the bisque kiln. The bisque kiln is fired to 1000°C. This process burns off the water in the clay as well as some of the chemically bound water. The structure of the clay is not altered that much at this temperature. Inside the bisque kiln, the work is stacked a little, small bowl inside a larger bowl and onto a heavy plate. Smaller items like decorations or drink coasters might get stacked several high. Consideration is paid to the weight of the stack and shape of the work. A bisque kiln can fire about one and a half times the amount of work that the glaze kiln can fire. The firing takes about 10 hours to complete the cycle and about two days to cool down. Once it has been emptied the work is placed in the glaze room ready for you to decorate! Step Six – Glazing Decorating your work with colour can be a lot of fun – and time consuming! There are three main options for surface treatment at this stage: Oxide Washes Underglazes Glazes Washes and underglazes do not “glaze” the work – It will still need a layer of glaze to fully seal the clay (washes don’t need glaze on surfaces not designed for food or liquid as they can gloss up a little on their own). Underglazes are stable colourants that turn out pretty much how they look in the jar. They can be mixed with each other to form other colours and can be used like water colours to paint onto your work. Mostly they should have a clear glaze on top to seal them. Oxides are a different species – the pink oxide (cobalt) wash turns out bright blue for instance. They don’t always need a glaze on top, and some glazes can change the colour of the wash! The glazes need no other “glaze” on top! Be careful of unknown glaze interactions – you can put any combination of glaze in a bowl or on a plate, but only a single glaze on the outside of any vertical surface! Glazes are a chemical reaction under heat. We don’t know the exact chemicals in the Mayco glazes we use. I can guess by the way they interact with each other, however, on the whole, you need to test every idea you have, and not run the test on a vertical surface! Simply put, glaze is a layer of glass like substance that bonds with the clay underneath. Clay is made of silica, alumina and water. Glaze is made of mostly silica. Silica has a melting point of 1700°C and we fire to 1240°C. The silica requires a “flux” to help it melt at the lower temperature. Fluxes can be all sorts of chemicals – a common one is calcium – calcium has a melting point of 2500°C, however, together they both melt at a much lower temperature! Colourants are metal oxides like cobalt (blue), chrome (green through black), copper (green, blue, even red!), manganese (black, purple and pink) iron (red brown), etc. Different chemicals in the glaze can have dramatic effects. for example, barium carbonate (which we don’t use) turns manganese bright pink! Other elements can turn manganese dioxide brown, blue, purple and reddish brown. Manganese dioxide is a flux in and of itself as well. So, glazes that get their black and purple colours, often interact with other glazes and RUN! Our mirror black is a good example – it mixes really well with many glazes because it fluxes them – causes them to melt faster. It will also bring out many beautiful colours in the glazes because it’s black colouring most definitely comes from manganese dioxide! Glaze chemistry is a whole subject on it’s own! We use commercial Mayco glazes on purpose – for their huge range of colour possibilities, stability, cool interactions, artistic freedom with the ability to easily brush the glazes on and ease of use. We currently have almost 50 glazes on hand! A major project is to test the interactions of all glazes with each other. That is 2,500 test tiles!!!! I’m going to make the wall behind the wheels the feature wall of pretty colours! Step Seven – Glaze (Gloss or sometimes called “Glost”) Firing Most of the time this is the final stage of making your creation (but not always!) The glaze kiln goes to 1240°C. This is called cone 6, or midrange. It is the low end of stoneware temperatures. Stoneware clays and glazes are typically fired at cone 8 – 10, that is 1260 – 1290°C. The energy requirement to go from 1240°C to 1280°C is almost a 30% more! Our clay is formulated to vitrify (mature, turn “glass-like”) at 1240°, as are our glazes. A glaze kiln take around 12 hours to reach temperature and two to three days to cool down. Sometimes a third firing process is required – this is for decoration that is added to work after the glaze firing. For example – adding precious metals and lustres. this firing temperature is usually around 600 – 800°C depending upon the techniques being used. There are many students interested in gold and silver trims – we will be doing this third type of firing soon! After firing your work will be in the student finished work shelves. Remember to pay for it before you head out the door! There is a small extra charge for using porcelain clay (it’s more than twice the price of regular clay), and for any third firing process! Once your work has been fired it can not turn back into clay for millennia – so don’t fire it if you don’t like it! Put it in the bucket for recycling. https://firebirdstudios.com.au/the-process-of-making-pottery/Ceramics have evolved over thousands of years.White earthenware dinner plate. Crazing evident all over.Backstamped ‘Made in England S LTD’flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, ceramics, tableware