National Museum of Australian Pottery, Pottery museum in Holbrook, Australia

The National Museum of Australian Pottery in Holbrook displays domestic pottery pieces created by Australian manufacturers, including storage jars, jugs, cheese covers, and bread plates from roughly 130 different companies. The collection spans about 2,000 items that show the range and style of tableware produced across the country.

The museum preserves pottery from companies established between European settlement and 1920, with early pieces marked by convict potter Jonathan Leak among the holdings. This collection documents the beginnings of domestic ceramic production in Australia and its growth during those formative decades.

The collection is called the Geoff and Kerrie Ford Australian Pottery Collection, after the couple who own and direct the museum. Geoff Ford wrote Australian Pottery: The first 100 years (1995), the Encyclopaedia of Australian Potter's Marks (1998) and Convict Potters of Australia 1821 to 1851 (2001). The Fords received Medals of the Order of Australia for service to the arts, particularly the study of early Australian pottery, and to the community.

The museum sits on Albury Street and opens most days of the week across multiple sessions throughout the day. Plan to spend a few hours exploring the large collection at a comfortable pace.

The collection includes original catalogs, price lists, and advertisements that reveal how these everyday products were sold and promoted to customers long ago. These documents provide a rare window into the business side of pottery manufacturing and what people actually bought.