City of Darebin Heritage Study Volume 1 Draft Thematic

VOLUME 2: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORYclay-pits usually became rubbish tips, and when filled were made into parks. The RayBramham Gardens is on the site of the Clifton brickworks and All Nations Park is on the siteof the Northcote brickworks.The South Preston Brick and Tile Company and the Northcote Brick Company providedcottages for their workers. The Northcote Company’s cottages in Robb’s Parade and Langwill’sParade, were built from second quality and broken bricks, but the houses are still standing(Forster, 1968:48; Lemon, 1983:93).Figure 21Clifton Brickworks, 1970s[DHE: ID 873]PotteriesMichael Emery was the first to use Preston’s clay deposits when he established St John’s potteryin Wood Street in 1853. He made earthenware flower pots for the local flower gardens, and hisbusiness continued until late in the nineteenth century (Sutherland, p. 734; Vines &Churchward, 1992:88). Emery’s house, St John’s Villa, is still standing in Wood Street. In1898 Westmorland’s Northcote Tile and Pottery Company commenced in Clyde Street. Thefactory produced roof tiles, chimney pots and drain pipes for the building trade and flower pots(‘Glimpses of Our Past’: 23). This factory, built to replace the original factory destroyed by firein the 1930s, remains as the only built evidence of one of Darebin’s most significant industries.Premier Potteries produced earthenware of a different kind, becoming market leader of acategory of decorative ceramics now commonly referred to as the ‘gumnut style’. PremierPottery was established by the traditionally trained potters David Dee and Reg Hawkins in1929. Premier Pottery created a line of art wares they branded ‘Remued’ – now acknowledgedas unique, and highly prized by collectors and art museums. Earlier brands for the pottery were‘PPP’ and ‘Pamela’.In 1931, the pottery moved into the former McFarlane bacon factory at 52 Oakover Road. Aclay pit was on the corner of Oakover and St Georges Road. There was a constant procession ofwomen with prams filled with newspapers arriving at the pottery. They would exchange thepapers for pottery seconds. Premier used the paper to package its pottery for transport. Thewares were sold through outlets such as the Primrose Pottery Shop in Melbourne.The Premier Pottery’s particular style of art pottery is characterised by colourful, free-flowingand overlapping glazed, and applied hand-modelled decoration – typically gumnut and gumleaves and prominent skewed Art Nouveau branch handles, or with faunal motifs such as koalasor reptiles. The pottery employed up to 19 potters and crafts –peoples, including sculptor andpotter Margaret Kerr and artist potter John Castle-Harris. After the pottery closed in 1955Alan James bought the business, and it was renamed ‘Kerryl’ and located at 53 Banbury Road,47