Club History
Silas Street clubhouse - 1984
Over the years the Club has regularly participated in community events such as the annual Craft Show at Claremont Showgrounds, the Empty Bowls fundraising event and the City of Melville Art Trail and many art exhibitions in Atwell Gallery. In 2018 the Club celebrated its 42nd anniversary with a spectacular retrospective exhibition featuring work by early members and a reunion of many of the original members.
Architect’s impression of new Karlup ceramics facility
In 2017 it became evident that the Club sheds had been erroneously located on the adjacent block and would need to be moved. So, after many years in these limited facilities with no running water or air-conditioning and inadequate space for larger gatherings and workshops, lobbying of the City of Melville began with the aim of creating a new, purpose-built, ceramics studio on the Atwell House site. The projection was that construction of the new studio facility would be complete before the end of 2021 but this happened in August 2022 to great celebrations. It has certainly been the start of a new era for the South of the River Potters’ Club and the Atwell House Arts Precinct. More here.
The South of the River Potters’ Club was established in 1974 and initially occupied premises in the Richmond Shopping Centre on Canning Highway, East Fremantle. The first AGM was held on January 29th, 1975 and the Treasurer reported that the Club had $41 in the bank. An electric kiln was purchased for $200 and by April it had been installed and plans were underway for the Club’s first Mother’s Day Sale which raised $525 in sales.
After several years in the little shop front on Canning Highway the Club moved to new premises at 12 Silas Street where it became a local landmark for many years. The facilities were expanded with the addition of a new kiln shed and new kilns and a large workroom which was the focus of many workshops and exhibitions. The Club shop was open on weekends and business was good, particularly at the annual Mother’s Day and Christmas sales.
Barb Wilkie, Pat Zuvella, Ron Milton, Daph Hart, Coral Denovan, Flora Johnson, Henne Hegge, Sue Siddall
At its high point the Club had a membership of 100 with a waiting list, a reflection of the popularity of pottery in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
After 22 years the Club had to leave Silas Street and temporarily relocated to a factory unit in O’Connor. Negotiations were started with the Melville Community Arts Association with the aim of finding the SORPC a permanent home at the Atwell House arts centre on Canning Highway in Alfred Cove. Despite some resistance from within the Atwell community, the potters were allowed to establish themselves in the work shed and kiln room that they have occupied since that time.
Atwell House
Atwell House is the core of the Atwell House Arts Precinct and it has a fascinating history. This account was written for the Club newsletter by the late Elizabeth Miocevich-Turner and was initially published in the Mudlark in December 2021.
HISTORY OF ATWELL HOUSE
Elizabeth Miocevich-Turner has provided a fascinating recollection from John McDonald who, as a boy, worked at what was then the Atwell Dairy farm, now the site of Atwell House, Atwell Gallery and Karlupl Ceramics Studio. Additional material has come from the official historical records of the Heritage Council of Australia:
Ownership of Lena Blacker’s Alfred Cove property was transferred to Walter David Atwell on 15th June 1926.
Born in Fremantle in 1872, Walter David Atwell was the son of former convict turned prominent Fremantle landowner and businessman, Henry Atwell. Married to Edith Stewart in 1902, Walter Atwells own career focussed around his passion for horses. Post Office Directory records indicate that Atwell operated a livery stable in Fremantle, mainly from a property off South Terrace, throughout the 1900s. He was also reportedly one of the first huntsmen of the Fremantle Hunt Club and, by c. 1912, was Master of the Hounds of the West Australian Hunt Club.
Although Walter Atwell was registered as the proprietor of the 22 acres of Swan Location 74 in 1926, there is some question as to the exact date when the Atwell family actually began to live at Alfred Cove. This appears to be associated with reports of an earlier timber house on the property which house was said to have been destroyed by fire and Atwell House was erected as its replacement in c. 1935.
Oral History interviews with David (Walter Atwell’s second son), his wife Connie and their daughter Dianne in 1998 provided a detailed description of the house, its furnishings and the lifestyle of the family. From the interviews, it is clear that Atwell House was designed to show the prominence of its owners, being a substantial brick and tile residence for the time with an elaborate veranda, bay windows and leadlight window and door features.
Here is John McDonald’s recollection of Atwell House:
“As a 12 or 13 year old, in 1945, I got a job with Atwell’s Dairy at 586 Canning Highway Melville (now known as Alfred Cove). On Friday nights I would ride my bike from Walter Street, East Fremantle, to the dairy. At 4.00am Mrs Atwell would wake me and her two sons David and Clive. We would have breakfast and then head for the dairy where my job was to wash the teats of the cows before applying the milking harness.
After milking I would saddle a Shetland pony and herd the cows towards the track and across Canning Highway and up Wireless Hill before turning west across North Lake Road. I would hten continue west until almost Rome Road, then back across Canning highway into the bush and up to Santa Maria College. I would then turn the cose and they would graze whilst slowly going back the way we came to the dairy. There were very few houses along that route in those days and maize was grown as stockfeed along the banks of the Swan River.
After the afternoon milking we would return to the house for dinner and repeat everything on Sunday. After returning the cows on Sunday I would ride home to Walter Street. My wage was two bob (2 shillings) which was a lot of money in those days.
It is of interest that the house had a name – “Great Applause” – which was the name of the horse owned by Walter Atwell which won the Perth Cup in 1925.
Photo courtesy City of Melville