Overview
THE STORY BEHIND NOOSAVILLE INDUSTRIAL ZONE’S ARTISTIC TRANSFORMATION
Our first guided tour destination today is the unlikely industrial precinct of Noosaville*.
Nestled in the heart of the Noosaville light industrial precinct lies a hidden gem of creativity and artistry that has captivated visitors and locals alike. On this drive-by guided tour you’ll discover creative enterprises both on and off the Noosa Open Studios art trail, ranging from the factory of award-winning “Pottery for the Planet” to Master Patissier, Adriano Zumbo’s new chocolate artistry factory!
This remarkable transformation from an industrial zone to a thriving creative and artisan space is a testament to the power of connecting artistic vision, community spirit, and thoughtful urban planning in modern-day Noosa.
Our first tour ends at the Fried Mudd Clay Studio in the same industrial precinct.
* Pick ups from Noosa accommodation by prior arrangement.
FRIED MUDD STORYTELLING & CLAY SCULPTING WORKSHOP
“Noosa’s beloved albino brush turkey, Albi, remains in a critical condition after being hit by a car on Hastings St on Saturday morning.” – Sunshine Coast Daily ..
In this 2-hour private group workshop, you’ll be creating our beloved “Albi”, Noosa’s iconic white Bush Turkey.
Fried Mudd’s, Cathy Spencer will begin with telling the story of Albi who was tragically run over in July 2022.
In memory of Albi, we will be making a mini bush turkey in clay.What’s included:
- Tea, coffee, filtered water, cake and fruit
- Tuition, clay, underglaze, clear glaze, and mid firing.
- Pottery will be fired and ready for collection on Tuesday
- Catered grazing platter lunch at the studio with wine
From Noosaville’s light industrial zone we’ll travel to the charming hinterland village of Cooroy.
COOROY BUTTER FACTORY ARTS CENTRE
The Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre is located in the historical farming town of Cooroy, in a converted old butter factory that was built in 1930. It took the place of the original timber factory constructed in 1915.
The old Butter Factory was closed in 1975 and was purchased by the Noosa Council for use as a community centre in 1991. In 2016 Noosa Council handed the management of the centre over to the community.
The Butter Factory Arts Centre is now run by the Cooroy Future Group as an exhibition, workshop and events venue, and provides a friendly and collaborative environment to both new and established artists working in any media.
There’s also a separate pottery studio and artist-run cooperative gift shop with handmade pottery, jewellery, cards and much more.
We’ll then travel to Quixotica Art Space, in Country Cooroy
HOME STUDIO VISIT – QUIXOTICA ARTSPACE & ROWLEY DRYSDALE
Rowley Drysdale is known as one of Australia’s foremost ceramic artists and wood firers, and one of Noosa’s most influential contemporary potters.
His practice spans four decades, with a particular focus on glazed wood fired work and the development of unique high fired glazes.
Rowley works primarily in ceramics, sculpture and mixed media and shares the Quixotica Art Space studio with his wife, Sarah.
Sarah Drysdale
Sarah’s ceramic work is distinctive for her surface decoration utilising the ancient ceramic arts of sgraffito and mishima.
She is often inspired by plant life, especially flowers and wild grasses and the small living creatures that surround them. Many hours are spent creating detailed designs and then applying them to her wheel thrown work.
Travel from Cooroy to Pomona through the scenic hinterland countryside.
POMONA – NOOSA MUSEUM PRIVATE GUIDED VISIT
NOOSA SHIRE MUSEUM – Historical Centre of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve in Pomona.
The small Noosa hinterland town of Pomona was established in the late 1800s as a center for the timber and dairy industries.
Today, Pomona is a quiet and picturesque country town with a population of around 2,000 people. The town has preserved much of its historic character, with many original buildings still standing, and is home to the Noosa Museum, which showcases the natural and cultural history of the town and the wider Noosa region, including its Aboriginal heritage, European settlement, and development over time.
Of special interest to our group are the sections on the history of pottery in Pomona and the Gubbi Gubbi Keeping Place.
POMONA POTTERY
Pomona Potteries began officially on the 15th of October 1919. The establishment of the pottery was a reaction to the shortage of pottery during world war 1.
Pomona Potteries specialised in saucers, jugs, sugar basins, tea pots and butter coolers. A major customer was Queensland Government Railways.
Although it only lasted until 1925, Pomona Potteries was a thriving industry for the town until overseas goods became too cheap to compete with.
The 30 ft high kiln of the pottery was constructed using a horse-driven pug mill and 78,000 handmade bricks. The kiln was 15 ft in diameter and had 10 furnaces that used timber as fuel. The clay was obtained from the site and was sifted, dried, and stored for several days before use. Kaolin, used for talc powder and French chalk, was discovered in the area around 1912 and was transported by rail as far as Adelaide.
GUBBI GUBBI DISPLAY
The Gubbi Gubbi Keeping Place at Noosa Museum opened in 2001, following years of planning by Gubbi Gubbi elders, community members, and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
The project aimed to promote reconciliation and create a display that was different from the mainstream. Dr. Eve Fesl, a Gubbi Gubbi Elder, was enlisted to work jointly with the Gubbi Gubbi people on the project.
The display includes an indoor exhibition and an outdoor area called the Island of Reconciliation, consisting of a circle of stones with a central fireplace and commemorative plaque, accessed via a bridge constructed by Noosa District Landcare and a local landscaper.
Time at Leisure in the Country Village of Pomona
After our guided visit of the museum, you will have time to explore on foot the charming historical hinterland village of Pomona.
We’ll regroup at the Pomona Gin Distillery (which has its own art gallery included on the Noosa Open Studios art trail) for a 4:30pm transfer back to Noosa Heads where the tour ends around 5pm.
