WHITEMAN PARK POTTERY

HISTORY

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The Whiteman Park Pottery Association was established in 1988 by Margaret South and a group of like-minded potters who saw the potential of the Whiteman Park Village as a tourist attraction and educational facility.

It began after Margaret saw an ad in a local newspaper asking for people in "old-fashioned trades" to take up the leases in the then empty Trades Village in Whiteman Park. At the time Margaret was studying pottery as part of an Arts course at Midland TAFE. She asked her fellow students and teachers for anyone who was interested, and finally met with a group of about 20 who negotiated their way to the Village in the Park, which was then only accessible via a limestone track running parallel to the tramway.

The first exhibition took place in the Administration building of the Park over Easter 1988.
After many meetings, busy bees, shelf-making, newcomers, cleaning, drop-outs, painting, legal advice etc the original gallery was opened on 7th May 1988.

The group operates on a voluntary basis, with members devoting much of their own personal resources, especially in the beginning, to ensure the success of the venture. The potters are from widely different backgrounds and produce an equally diverse range of pottery. Between them, members have won many awards for their work including the prestigious Darlington Arts Festival pottery prize. Work from the Whiteman Park Pottery is in the art collections of both the City of Swan and Shire of Mundaring.

In addition to their own activities the potters support the initiatives of the Park as a whole. They take part in overall Park functions and have traveled to various venues promoting the Park (shopping centres, WA Week promotions, Dowerin Field Days), provided many entertaining raku firings, as well as voluntarily running children's workshops as part of the park's educational programme during WA Week.

Major achievements include arranging and organising the very successful Australian tour by world-renowned Canadian potter Robin Hopper, and hosting the equally successful City of Swan Acquisitive Exhibition. Members also participate in the wider art community, taking part in the National Ceramic Conference, annual clay olympics; and having membership of other art organisations.

The Pottery and Whiteman Park have undergone many changes over the years. Many kilometres of sealed road have been laid throughout the Park and lawned picnic areas, barbecues and playgrounds installed. The Pottery gallery was relocated in 1992 and again in 2006, this time to a purpose-built gallery adjoining the Handcraft shop at the western end of the Village.

In May 2008 the pottery celebrated Twenty Years of operation with an exhibition of works by past and present members; and the unveiling of a specially designed water feature created by the members for the occasion.