Edinburgh Pottery, Ballarat, Australia

Edinburgh Pottery (1972-2005) was located within the Sovereign Hill precinct in Ballarat, Victoria. It was set up by John Gilbert to produce wares in a 19th century style for the tourist market. In practice, it was a training ground for young potters, who produced a wide range of well-made functional items in the Anglo-Oriental style. Ironically, while Edinburgh Pottery flourished for many years in its Sovereign Hill setting, most of the domestic ware in use on the Ballarat goldfields was imported from the Staffordshire potteries of England. One of the reasons for its closure in 2005 was that, historically, such a pottery had never existed in Ballarat in the 1850s. Edinburgh Pottery ware is impressed 'Edinburgh Pottery Ballarat'.