CLUB HISTORY
History of Stanthorpe Pottery Club
Interest in Pottery in the Stanthorpe area began in the early 1970s with the Apple and Grape Arts Festival and the promotion of Arts into Rural Areas.
Mr Ted Reeves held a meeting with Mr Fletcher, the Minister for Education and Arts, and it was agreed that Mr A J Creedy, the Director of Cultural Activities, would visit Stanthorpe to promote "Art" in the area.
A note of interest was placed in the Border Post and a meeting was called and held in the CWA rooms in Victoria Street. The meeting was chaired by Mrs Therese Burton. At this meeting Mrs Daphne Reeves was elected President and a committee was formed to start a Pottery Club in Stanthorpe.
After searching for a suitable site for the Club, a shed in Eduardo Verri Park was spotted by the inaugural President. The council was approached and the site was approved.
A working bee then commenced to make the "shed" into a "Den" - a place where members could meet to learn the "art of pottery". The site still remains the home of the Stanthorpe Pottery Club over 40 years later.
Founding Members
The late Ron Francis,
The late Tom O’Dea,
The late Mrs Therese Burton,
The late Mrs Anne Mathison,
The late Mrs Joyce Smith,
The late Mr Frank Wilkenson,
The late Mr Doug Croston,
Mrs Daphne Reeves (the inaugural President),
Mrs Sheila O’Dea,
Mrs Ness Cathcart,
Beryl Walsh,
Mr John Burton
Mr Carmelo Pennisi
The first year saw a successful start to the recently formed Pottery Club and members entered their pieces in a newly formed pottery section at the Stanthorpe Annual Show and the Apple and Grape Harvest Arts Festival. The entries in the Local Art Section brought favourable comments from the judge.
The club purchased new equipment; an electric wheel, kiln equipment, glazes and clay. Money was raised from a street stall, from the community funds and a grant from the Department of Cultural Activities assisted the club in the purchasing of the equipment.
Praise was given to the work of secretary Mrs Anne Mathison, the two club tutors and many other people who contributed to the clubs success.
Officers elected for the new year:
Mrs Daphne Reeves, President
Mrs June Hill, Vice President
Mrs Elaine Cabria, Secretary
Mrs Anne Mathison, Treasurer
Committee:
The late Mr Ron Francis
Mr John Burton
Mrs Sheila O’Day,
Mrs Ness Cathcart
Mr Carmelo Pennisi
Stanthorpe Border Post Clippings with:
“Things I see with A.G”
Dated Tuesday March 23rd 1971
Mr A.J. Creedy – Director of Cultural Activities is visiting here this Tuesday afternoon, in order to meet and discuss the activities of the newly formed Pottery Club. His help and advice will be of value to the young club when they get moving on the working gear which will be required to get it started.
Tuesday March 23rd 1971
Creedy at the Pottery Meeting.
Pottery Group – 40 members (approx)
Meeting at CWA rooms
Full report in Thursday’s edition.
Thursday April 22
Mr.F.A. Rogers-Chairman of Stanthorpe Shire Council advised at last council meeting that he had been approached by members of the newly formed pottery club. Re: allocation of a suitable building in which the club could meet. Mr Rogers said he had authorised the use of the shed at Verri Park for the purpose. Council confirmed his actions and decided that the matter of rental for the shed be considered later and the Council agreed that the club be responsible for connecting power to a separate meter on building and payment incurred would be the clubs.
August 26th 1971
A demonstration on the “Pottery Wheel” by members from the Mingoola Pottery Club.
Suitable clay will be available.
Working Bee Sunday at 9.30 and demonstration.
October 7th 1971
Master Potter at the Kindy Fete – Mervyn Feeney.
Demonstration in throwing pots.
Organised by the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Committee for Centenary Arts Festival for 1972.
Mervyn will also be helping pottery club members with their new wheel on Sunday October 10th at 10.30 at the club.
Tuesday October 12 “Pottery Club News”
Mr & Mrs Woods from the Queensland Potters Assoc. will advices members on glazing and any pottery problems on Sunday at the Pottery Club.
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Visits from the Flying Art School tutor, Rob Hinwood, and the movement of the late Ian McKay to the district, enabled the members to be exposed to a variety techniques. Phillip McConnel was the first Professional Tutor to hold a workshop for the club.
In the early days with the acquisition of the pottery wheel, John Burton and Carmelo Pennisi, both self taught, found it easy to master the wheel. Both John and Carmelo gave time to tutor other members of the club.
Classes have been held regularly throughout the years by club members:
The late Mrs Joyce Smith, and Jocelyn Rogerson, Robyn Turner, Sue Whitton, Jill Williams, Heather Gregg, Lindsay Hamilton, Yvonne Stalling-Gray, Albert Verchuuren, Dianne Whitford,
Rob Simcocks, Maggie Brockie, Alba Conti, Maryke Miller, and Glenys Fletcher.
Children’s workshops are held every September school holidays. Many of the members each year give their time to be creative with the younger residents of the district. It is hoped that these workshops held for the younger generation will create an interest in pottery and therefore may well keep the club in existence for many years to come.
Kilns
The club has had a variety of kilns over the years, not all of which have been efficient or successful. A variety of raku kilns and a salt kiln have been built and demolished. There were two attempts at building an oil fired kiln, these were not a success.
A grant from the Federal Government in the early 1970’s enabled the club to purchase an electric kiln. Though this type of kiln doesnot fire as dramatically as a reducing gas kiln,it has at least provided a more consistent result.
The club has purchased three electric kilns over the years, the most recent one in 1996. One of the old electric kilns was converted to a gas kiln by one of the districts master potters, Albert Verschuuren.
A new electric wheel was also acquired and Camelo Pennisi conducted classes every fortnight in hand building and wheel work. These classes were sponsored by the Board of Adult Education.
Club Committee
Over the 50 years Club Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, committee members along with all members of the club have worked tirelessly in keeping the club in good order, raising money for renovations, kilns, pottery equipment and the upkeep of the general running costs.
Past Presidents of the club
Daphne Reeves, (inaugural President),
The late Ron Francis
The Late Anne Mathison
Sue Whitton
John McCormack
Val Lyons
Yvonne Stalling-Gray
Ron Wigzel
Rob Simmocks
Alba Conti
Gail McCaffery
Michelle Bartlett
Maggie Brockie
Helen Turrisi
Maryke Miller
Glenys Fletcher
Trish Crampton
A special mention must be made to Anne Mathison who held office as either Treasurer or Secretary for the most of 25 years of her membership.
During the 50 years over 300 people have attended classes at some stage. Most residents will remember with delight the exhibitions held by the Pottery Club, in what was formerly the Art Gallery, in the Council Chambers.
Firings
Raku a Japanese word freely interpreted as “enjoyment” It was an ideograph engraved on a gold seal and given by the ruler Hideyoshi to Chojiro in 1598. Raku therefore became his family title. Chojiro is credited with being the first to produce, in 1580, a low fired glazed pottery by direct process which involved putting the pots into and taking them out of the red hot kiln. Long tongs are used for handling the pots. The firing takes up to an hour when the glazes have melted and the pots are removed to be replaced by another batch.
The process gives the potter control of colourful expression as he subjects the pot and its glaze to oxidations and reductions during its cooling. The openness of the body and the soft nature of the glaze enable extremely subtle variations of colour to be achieved.
Raku Pots are made of refractory clay which remains open and thus able to withstand the extreme thermal shocks imposed upon it. It is not hard-fired and therefore the pots are relatively fragile and porous until sealed by oil, tea or grease. Nevertheless the body is and excellent thermal insulator and was accepted by the Japanese as ideal for tea bowls. Couple with this the intimate expressions of the variable colourings of raku which carry a narrative of the whole process and it is easy to see why raku gained its favour and was given the title of enjoyment.
Today potters extend the word enjoyment to cover the firing process which to be successful must include total involvement of the potter with the happening so that continuity of development occurs in the expression as consecutive pots are processed.
“The Potters Dictionary of Materials and Techniques by Frank Hamer Published 1975”
The Stanthorpe Pottery Club’s very first Firing was a Raku Firing under the guidance of Master Potter Phillip McConnel and over many years members have enjoyed a number of Raku Firings.
The Club’s Wood Fired Kiln Project
After months of much discussion the club decided to apply for RADF funding in 2005 to build
a wood fired kiln. We approached master potter, Albert Verschuuren, who has had many years
experience building and firing wood fired kilns and he agreed to be our teacher. Paul and Dianne Whitford offered their property for the kiln to be built and donated bricks that we had previously
purchased from Ian McKay’s wood fired kiln he had built at Severnlea many years ago.
Fortunately our application was successful and many club members and their partners offered their time and energy preparing the site, laying concrete and helping Albert lay bricks, using the Bourry Box design. Lots of wood was sourced and prepared and special glazes and pots were made. Under Albert’s guidance we learnt not only how to build the kiln, but also how to glaze, load, fire and unload the kiln. Even though the entire process involved many exhausting hours it was very rewarding in bringing club members together for a such a worthwhile project.
The club has had three firings so far. The first under Albert’s guidance, the second with an
enthusiastic group of club members and the third with Survira MacDonald’ s workshop.
All three have been very successful in their own way as we have learnt a great deal.
We will always have the kiln ready and waiting for the next group of enthusiastic members willing to devote lots of time and energy to ‘play with fire’ in order to produce wood fired pieces.
A big thank you must go to Les Fletcher and Paul Whitford for their huge contributions during the construction and firing processes.
The New Gallery and Extensions
The Planning of the New Gallery and extensions started with the Council wanting the portable toilets, which were on loan, returned. It was suggest to the President, Sue Whitton, that the club should look at a grant to do some extensions. This set the President on a mission of planning and organising. Much effort from the members with fundraising and a lot of voluntary support from the Council and 3 years later, Builder, Mark McKechnie, commenced the Gallery and Extensions.
The Bricks for the pavement came from an old building at Dalveen. These were collected then cleaned by members ready for laying. The brick payment made a nice feature to the club extensions.
Club Rennovations
More recently the club was renovated, this took place under the guidance of our last President, Glenys Fletcher and her members.
We have Les Fletcher and his building skills to thank for the club looking so great. And also thanks goes to the volunteer group who offered Les a hand and to John Miller for helping them with the paint work.
Both Les and John have put so much time and effort into the renovations and the members are very grateful to have a “spiffy” looking club.
Roslyn Burton donated the two wrought iron panels which adds to the ambience and new look to our club.