Adelaide South Australia. Bosley pottery souvenir pottery plate produced for the Centenary of South Australia in 1936. Depicts the Old Gum tree at Glenelg where the colony was proclaimed. The ship is the Buffalo from the first fleet.
Bosley Ware Art Pottery Mitcham South Australia.
Staffordshire brothers George and Thomas Bosley arrived in South Australia in 1865 and 1866 respectively. Both brothers were potters and they moved into brick making at Hindmarsh on their arrival in SA. They were soon employed on making pottery, terracotta pipes and household utilitarian ware and chimney pots. By 1886 George Bosley was teaching pottery at the School of Design where he was praised greatly by the master potter there. George Bosley left the Hindmarsh Pottery in 1890 and concentrated on teaching pottery especially wheelwork and exhibiting when possible until his early death in 1892. It was not until 1931 that George Bosley’s nephew Thomas established his Bosley Ware Pottery in Abbotshall Street Mitcham. This nephew Thomas had become became George’s step son when George married his brother’s wife. Thomas Bosley the younger had worked in a pottery and brick yard in Western Australia for twenty years before his return to SA in 1913. He then worked for the Eden Hills brickyard. These Eden hills brick works closed during the Depression of 1929 and in 1931 Thomas Bosley set out on his own by establishing his own pottery. By 1932 Thomas was making art work pottery for sale. Lady Bonython was a patron his wares. The pottery began in a garage. His son Alfred worked in the pottery and he took on his first employee in 1935. In that same year he began producing “centenary souvenirs” for the forthcoming SA centenary of 1936. By that time he had six employees. The business was going well and in 1937 Thomas built a new bungalow across the street from his pottery which naturally had a Bosley green chimney pot, glazed air vent tiles and multi coloured glaze tile decorations. The Bosley family owned this house until 1977. Unfortunately Thomas Bosley died in 1945 and the business changed. A company Mitcham Potteries Ltd was formed in 1946 with Ron Bissett in charge and the pottery premises were much expanded. By 1954 the Mitcham potteries which still used the name of Bosley Ware was making 10,000 bread crocks a year. But the pottery struggled and ceased producing ornamental wares in 1954. The former Bosley pottery closed in 1964. These former pottery premises are now the St Vincent de Paul opportunity shop.
The Bosley Pottery was known for its distinctive art wares which included a 1936 Centenary of South Australia plaque, magpies, kookaburras, koalas, kangaroos, penguins, gnomes and the famous logo of MacRobertsons Chocolate - the bi- coloured Freddie the frog. They also produced many urns, vases and bread crocks often in their distinctive Bosley green or in their multi coloured glazes.
Adelaide South Australia. Bosley pottery souvenir pottery plate produced for the Centenary of South Australia in 1936. Depicts the Old Gum tree at Glenelg where the colony was proclaimed. The ship is the Buffalo from the first fleet.
Bosley Ware Art Pottery Mitcham South Australia.
Staffordshire brothers George and Thomas Bosley arrived in South Australia in 1865 and 1866 respectively. Both brothers were potters and they moved into brick making at Hindmarsh on their arrival in SA. They were soon employed on making pottery, terracotta pipes and household utilitarian ware and chimney pots. By 1886 George Bosley was teaching pottery at the School of Design where he was praised greatly by the master potter there. George Bosley left the Hindmarsh Pottery in 1890 and concentrated on teaching pottery especially wheelwork and exhibiting when possible until his early death in 1892. It was not until 1931 that George Bosley’s nephew Thomas established his Bosley Ware Pottery in Abbotshall Street Mitcham. This nephew Thomas had become became George’s step son when George married his brother’s wife. Thomas Bosley the younger had worked in a pottery and brick yard in Western Australia for twenty years before his return to SA in 1913. He then worked for the Eden Hills brickyard. These Eden hills brick works closed during the Depression of 1929 and in 1931 Thomas Bosley set out on his own by establishing his own pottery. By 1932 Thomas was making art work pottery for sale. Lady Bonython was a patron his wares. The pottery began in a garage. His son Alfred worked in the pottery and he took on his first employee in 1935. In that same year he began producing “centenary souvenirs” for the forthcoming SA centenary of 1936. By that time he had six employees. The business was going well and in 1937 Thomas built a new bungalow across the street from his pottery which naturally had a Bosley green chimney pot, glazed air vent tiles and multi coloured glaze tile decorations. The Bosley family owned this house until 1977. Unfortunately Thomas Bosley died in 1945 and the business changed. A company Mitcham Potteries Ltd was formed in 1946 with Ron Bissett in charge and the pottery premises were much expanded. By 1954 the Mitcham potteries which still used the name of Bosley Ware was making 10,000 bread crocks a year. But the pottery struggled and ceased producing ornamental wares in 1954. The former Bosley pottery closed in 1964. These former pottery premises are now the St Vincent de Paul opportunity shop.
The Bosley Pottery was known for its distinctive art wares which included a 1936 Centenary of South Australia plaque, magpies, kookaburras, koalas, kangaroos, penguins, gnomes and the famous logo of MacRobertsons Chocolate - the bi- coloured Freddie the frog. They also produced many urns, vases and bread crocks often in their distinctive Bosley green or in their multi coloured glazes.