The Wedgwood Society of New South Wales is an appreciation group interested in the products of Josiah Wedgwood, FRS (1730–1795) and his successors to the present day.
We are based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Our members are from all over Australia and from other countries, with most resident in NSW.
We publish a newsletter for members, The Medallion, and hold meetings, usually every second month, when we hear lectures or discussions about various aspects of Wedgwood and Wedgwood collecting. New members are most welcome. How to join or contact us.
Our origins...
The Wedgwood Society of Australia was the first group of Australian Wedgwood collectors formed in Melbourne in 1973 with Keith Deutscher as founding President and mentor. Interested collectors in New South Wales joined and went to Melbourne when they could and followed proceedings at a distance when they couldn't.
By 1976 interest and numbers were such that the collectors in New South Wales formed themselves into a Chapter of the original Society and held regular meeetings and issued a newsletter for members while maintaining membership with Melbourne. In 1986 there was a need for independance and The Wedgwood Society of New Wouth Wales was formed and registered as an Incorporated Association under NSW law.
Anniversary 40 years...
The 40th anniversary of the first organisation of Wedgwood collectors in NSW occured in 2016 and that was a major milestone for us.
Our symbol...
The Wedgwood Society of NSW has as its symbol Wedgwood’s Sydney Cove Medallion which was first made in 1789 using clay from Sydney Cove. In 1788, the first year of European settlement, Captain Arthur Phillip, the Governor of the new colony, sent a sample of clay to Sir Joseph Banks in England. Banks passed this on to Josiah Wedgwood who had a number of medallions made to a design by Henry Webber.
Only eleven medallions from the original issue are known to have survived, seven of them are in Sydney collections. The design represents Hope encouraging Peace, Art and Labour to work towards security and happiness for the infant settlement.
When Governor Phillip wrote to Banks acknowledging the medallions, his letter referred to the “medallions and the cup”. Unfortunately no other mention of a cup is made, nor does it appear to have survived.
Our executive...
Our year runs from 1 July to 30 June. The Executive Committee is elected each year and takes office from the Annual General Meeting which is usually held in August.
The Committee for the 2016–17 year is—
| President |
Janet Hannaford |
| Vice-President |
Brian Willis |
| Secretary |
Anni Macdonald-Penney |
| Treasurer |
Zena Thomas |
| Committee |
Neville Covel, Ron Jones, Mary Jones, Ailsa Langford, Margaret O’Neill, Christina Wilson |
| Public Officer |
Paul Thomas |
| Newsletter Editor & Archivist |
Paul Thomas |
| Librarian |
Anni Macdonald-Penney |
Past office bearers...
Those who have held office in our Society since its inception are listed here—