Australia’s Little Staffordshire

There is an active community campaign to conserve for public use the former Hoffman Brickworks site.

Click here to go to the campaign Web site.

Below is a detail view from an aerial photo of the Melbourne inner suburb of Brunswick, looking east, probably taken about 1920. The two large pits in the foreground and their associated buildings belonged to Hoffman Pottery Works. They are separated by Albert Street. The complex on the left (north) side of Albert Street was the original Hoffman works, and that claypit was called ‘No. 1 Pit’.
   The long street running up from the bottom left of the photo is Victoria Street. Across Victoria Street from the Hoffman No. 1 Pit, white smoke pours from a kiln at the Melbourne Pottery company (1906–1926). 
   At the centre of the photo, another claypit can just be seen through the smoke, and to the right of it, another chimney pours black smoke. This is Alfred Cornwell’s Brunswick pottery (1859–1964). Many other potteries were also active in this area.

   

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Credit: W.H. Hansom, Melbourne Air Service