Yea Pottery Club set to celebrate 50 years

IN 1975, the Arts Train came to Yea. The Arts Train was a regional service that showed different arts and crafts to local towns. Five local Yea women attended: Verity Scales, Virginia Hope, Isla Creed, Laurie Hatchell Brown and Margaret Mahon.

After trying pottery on the ArtsTrain, they all wanted to explore and learn the art of pottery and created the Yea Pottery Club.

Originally using the craft room within the school, one night a week as they had children to look after during the day, they soon realised that the venue would not work, needing to set up and break down every time, and load and unload clay, equipment, etcetera.

The shire offered the Young Farmers Room on the hill behind the old school. A kiln was purchased, as up till now all pottery pieces had to be sent to Melbourne to be fired. The money for the kiln was raised through raffles, bake sales, and so on, and a grant from the shire.

The main issue with the room was the steepness of the hill and steps, as there were older members of the club.

Margaret Mahon asked the shire if they could move the room down the hill to flat ground, but was told it would fall apart. Margaret approached the shire to be given half the new shed that was being built down the hill for the Men’s Shed. This took five years to happen and during that time the club closed.

Finally the shed was finished and became the new home of the Yea Pottery Club and is still there. With the extra space, another kiln was able to be purchased and pottery wheels could be set up permanently.

As with most groups or clubs, it’s a people’s story. Many many people have come and gone over the past 50 years.

The original five members learnt by…