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BENDIGO POTTERY
120 -146 MIDLAND HIGHWAY EPSOM, GREATER BENDIGO CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
BENDIGO POTTERY SOHE 2008
BENDIGO POTTERY SOHE 2008
BENDIGO POTTERY SOHE 2008
BENDIGO POTTERY SOHE 2008
1 Bendigo Pottery North West Facade and Rectangular Kiln 2 (S9), Bottle Kilns 3 & 4 (S3 & S4) and Chimneys 1, 2 & 3 (S10,S11 & S12)16 August 2005 mz
bendigo pottery epsom front view of kiln aug1987
bendigo pottery epsom chimney aug1987
Bendigo Pottery Bottle Kiln (S1) 16 August 2005 mz
Bendigo Pottery Circular Kiln (S5) 16 August 2005 mz 044
H0674 Bendigo Pottery Plan A Ammended Sept 06
H0674 Bendigo Pottery Plan B Ammended Sept 06
H0674 Bendigo Pottery Heritagecare group
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
The Bendigo Pottery occupies a large area of land north of Bendigo at Epsom between the Midland Highway and the Bendigo Echuca railway line. The pottery consists of four extant and one collapsed bottle kilns, (built between 1868 and 1943); three circular kilns, (built between 1888 and 1925); and two rectangular kilns, (1932 & 1942) and their associated chimneys; stables, (1873). The site also includes industrial buildings associated with pottery production (1920s to the present), a jib crane (1913) and a remnant Pan mill. These are also a number of other service structures associated with the operation of the works and a collection of smaller structures brought to the site from elsewhere that have no direct link to the site. These include the old Moliagul General Store, a railway box car and the verandah to the former store buildingthat came from the facade of the first Myers store front in Bendigo.

The Bendigo Pottery was established by Scottish entrepreneur George Duncan Guthrie. Guthrie first established a pottery works in 1857 in the Huntly area north of Bendigo where he found good clays, but market difficulties forced its closure shortly after.

In 1864 Guthrie established the current works in Epsom near the previous works. The success of this second enterprise was aided by the new rail-line to Melbourne which had recently opened in 1862 and the establishment of a depot in Melbourne in 1866 to distribute the pottery's products. At the Melbourne Inter-Colonial Exhibition of 1866-67 the pottery was awarded a medal for the range and quality of its product.

Horses were integral to the operation and stables were built in 1873 that could accommodate twenty horses. Horses were primarily used for transporting clay, firewood and finished goods. The stables were designed by Robert Alexander Love who was born and trained in Ireland but spent fourteen years practising in America before arriving in Victoria in 1858. The railway also continued to be of importance to the running of the works and in 1883 the spur line from the nearby Sandhurst to Echuca railway line to the factory was constructed. The construction of the spur line facilitated more efficient handling of finished products and the delivery of high quality clays from other parts of the state.

At the end of the nineteenth century the pottery was producing a vast range of goods that included household goods, a large range of special use bottles, pipes and sanitary ware and a range of pressed decorative ware. From the 1880s the Bendigo Pottery was the largest in the state until it was overtaken by Hoffman's Pottery in Brunswick in the early twentieth century.

Guthrie sold the works in 1882 but continued to manage them for the new owners until his retirement in 1883. Guthrie returned to manage the works in 1886 before retiring again in 1897. Continuing financial difficulties led to the liquidation of the company in 1898. It was repurchased by Guthrie and the Melbourne stockbroker Hartley and trading as G D Guthrie and Company. Guthrie eventually retired for the last time in 1909 due to ill health and died in September 1910. Despite his death the works continued to expand and a Jib crane was constructed in 1913 to assist in the loading and the unloading of railway cars. A new kiln and a new kiln shed were constructed in 1920 and a third pipe kiln was built in 1922.

Over time the works have been modified and rebuilt in response to changes in production methods and products and because of damage from fires, an ongoing hazard in a work place that relies on burning solid fuel. The works have suffered three major fires; 1900, 1923 and 1941. The fires have precipitated major rebuilding of the works.

By 1930 the competition from overseas imports and the depression had forced the pottery to stop the production of household items. They received a boost in 1935-36 with a tender for the supply of sanitation pipework but otherwise struggled financially into the 1950s. By now production was narrowing into pipework, tiling and industrial ware. Humes Pipes subsequently took over the pottery and thereupon followed a further decline. Despite several more changes of ownership, the pottery has continued to operate as a manufacturing, retailing and tourism concern.

How is it significant?
Bendigo Pottery is of technical (scientific), historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
The Bendigo Pottery is of technical (scientific) significance for its collection of traditional coal and wood fired kilns. Bendigo Pottery was one of the last large manufacturing concerns where this form of technology was in operation in the late 20th century. The pottery is important for containing in-situ a group of extremely rare bottle kilns. These kilns which date from 1868 are amongst Australia's last surviving examples. Internationally very few of these pottery kilns are known to survive. The Pottery site also contains a number of objects directly relating to the production of pottery and ceramics and includes a remnant Pan mill and kiln furniture.

Bendigo Pottery is of historical significance for its link to the Bendigo Echuca Railway line which is illustrated by the jib crane.

The Bendigo Pottery is of historical significance as a once prominent national industry. The pottery sustained local interests for over 140 years. In that time it produced a wide variety of fine Australian pottery ware. Pieces of Bendigo Pottery ware are included in important Australian public and private collections.

The Bendigo Pottery Stables are of historical significance for demonstrating the importance of horse drawn transport to the industrial processes and transportation associated with the pottery's works.

The Bendigo Pottery Stables are of architectural significance for their association with the architect and civil engineer Robert Alexander Love.

Bendigo Pottery is of architectural significance for its collection of industrial buildings which provide context to the kilns and illustrate the ongoing and changing nature of the works and assist in describing the various pottery production processes. Of particular note are the north facing sawtooth roofs over circular kilns. These appear to have been constructed in this manner to exploit the northern sun to assist with the drying of pottery on drying platforms before being fired

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    • History

      BENDIGO POTTERY - History

      Associated People:

      Permit Exemptions

      BENDIGO POTTERY - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions:
      1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
      2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
      3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
      4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
      5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.

      General
      All works, including additions that are directly related to the manufacturing, retailing and tourism aspects of the Bendigo Pottery business, removal and internal modification, to all structures not included in the extent of registration, including the Old Moliagul General Store, the railway box car, the 'Myer Verandah' and Non Registered Structure 4, but not Non Registered Structures 1, 2 & 3, as shown on Diagrams 674a & 674b held by the Executive Director are permit exempt. Non Registered Structure 4 will require recording prior to any addition, modification or removal.

      All works, including additions that are directly related to the manufacturing, retailing and tourism aspects of the Bendigo Pottery business, removal and internal modification, to Non Registered Structures 1, 2 & 3, as shown on Diagrams 674a & 674b held by the Executive Director, are permit exempt, except where the proposed works may affect any registered fabric..

      Exterior:

      The replacement of exterior corrugated iron sheeting on walls and roofing.

      Minor repairs and maintenance which replaces like fabric with like.

      Removal of extraneous items such as air conditioners, pipe work, ducting, wiring, antennae, aerials etc, and making good.

      Installation and repairing of damp proofing by either injection method or grout pocket method.

      Installation or removal of external fixtures and fittings such as, hot water services and taps.

      Interior:

      Refurbishment of existing bathrooms, toilets and kitchens including removal, installation or replacement of sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors, wall and floor coverings.

      Removal of tiling or concrete slabs in wet areas provided there is no damage to or alteration of original structure or fabric.

      Permit Exemption Policy

      BENDIGO POTTERY - Permit Exemption Policy

      Policy

      The purpose of a Permit Exemption is to allow works that will not impact on the significance of the heritage place to occur without the need for a permit. Works other than those mentioned in the permit exemptions may be possible but will require permit approval or the written approval of the Executive Director.

      The purpose of the Permit Policy is as a guide only in assisting when considering, or making decisions regarding, works to the place.

      It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage Victoria before they are undertaken or a permit is applied for.

      The significance of the Bendigo Pottery lies in the extant kilns and the context in which they exist. While it appears that none or little of this fabric dates from the earlier stages of activity on the site, what remains is informative of the production processes of the later stages of the industrial use of the place. The presence of this fabric increases our understanding of the environment for the kilns, the industrial practices associated with them and the pottery production process.

      While it is reasonable to expect that ongoing maintenance of the fabric will be required, the removal and replacement of these structures should be avoided.

      Non Registered Structures 1, 2, 3 & 4, as shown on Diagrams 674a & 674b held by the Executive Director, may undergo additions directly related to pottery business, be removed or be internally and externally modified. However any proposed work that may impact on any registered fabric will require permit approval or the written approval of the Executive Director to ensure that no significant fabric of the registered structures is adversely affected. The removal of Non Registered Structures 1, 2, 3 may require recording prior to removal. Non Registered Structure 4 will require recording prior to any modification, addition or removal.

      Any proposed works to the place should take into consideration the recommendations made in the Conservation Management Plan for Bendigo Pottery by Robert Kaufman, March 2004, in particular Section 5.

      Bendigo Pottery is likely to have archaeological potential, although this remains to be demonstrated. Any ground disturbing activities that may disturb surviving subsurface fabric will require a consent under section 129 of the Heritage Act 1995.

  • Tours involving this place See all tours

    Bendigo Gems

    16/12/11

    White Hills Botanic Gardens - Chinese Brick Walls - White Hills Cemetery - Bendigo Chinese Temple - Former Supreme Court - Bendigo Town Hall - Bendigo Pottery - Former Kahland Winery & Cellars - Central Deborah Gold Mine - Beaurepaire Motor Garage - Hm Prison Bendigo - Specimen Cottage

Public contributions

Tours involving this place See all tours

Bendigo Gems

16/12/11

White Hills Botanic Gardens - Chinese Brick Walls - White Hills Cemetery - Bendigo Chinese Temple - Former Supreme Court - Bendigo Town Hall - Bendigo Pottery - Former Kahland Winery & Cellars - Central Deborah Gold Mine - Beaurepaire Motor Garage - Hm Prison Bendigo - Specimen Cottage

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