The largest growth period was in the 1870s and 1880s as clay industries closed in many parts of Britain. At this time many British potters travelled to New Zealand where the burgeoning ceramics market welcomed their skills.

Domestic Ceramics

Initial attempts to produce commercial pottery in New Zealand were met with little success as the focus was placed on ornamental wares. It was not until commercial companies decided to produce domestic ceramics that they became successful. Many techniques including slip casting and press molding were used to produce New Zealand’s range of domestic ceramic pieces.

Crown Lynn Potteries Limited

Crown Lynn Potteries was built in 1948. After the unsuccessful production of ornamental wares in the 1940s and 1950s, Crown Lynn Potteries moved into the mass production of tableware. To combat British competition Crown Lynn Potteries attempted to break into the nursery-ware market in the 1950s and have produced a variety of children’s wares and brands since. All nursery-wares were decorated with transfers and the images included ‘Georgie Porgy’, ‘The Wombles’, ‘Paddington Bear’ and ‘Sesame Street’. Crown Lynn also went into the production of commemorative wares such as mugs for the Auckland Empire Games of 1950 and the gilded loving cup marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Temuka Potteries made the move into the domestic pottery field in 1936. Temuka Potteries produced ashtrays from the 1930s; the earlier ashtrays display the art deco design that flourished throughout New Zealand in the 1930s. The art deco wall vase was also produced from this time. Several design variations and a number of different finishes are known for the iconic Temuka Potteries vase of a large seashell draped with seaweed and sitting on a small plinth of ocean waves. Temuka also produced the bodies of electric jugs for different electrical firms between 1930 and 1950. Temuka Potteries has continued to flourish and successfully manufactures dinnerware and domestic ceramics today.

Milton Potteries produced domestic wares from 1875. One of the most notable things about Milton potteries is the use of majolica glaze. The effect of a majolica glaze is mottled or streaked colours of brown, green, blue or red. This glaze was used on many items especially decanters and vases.

Oswold Counsel Stephens, better known as O.C Stephens, made a huge contribution to New Zealand’s commercial ceramics industry. After spending some time as a chemist at Temuka, O.C. Stephens retired to set up a small pottery on Clyde Street, Dunedin. Stephens experimented with glazes and a process called slip casting. O.C Stephens’ principal outputs were slip cast cups and jugs, with exterior white glaze and colour-contrasting interior glaze.