Tea, anyone? Wedgwood treasures from the V&A to make a stir in Townsville
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a rather spiffing collection of Wedgwood and it is about to share 100 rare pieces with the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Townsville.
Townsville will get a bit of South Kensington this year with an exhibition from London’s most loved museum – the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A as it is known) – one of the world’s most esteemed cultural institutions with more than 2.8 million objects in its collection.
So, the V&A won’t miss a few objects – 100 to be exact – as an iconic collection of Wedgwood ceramics head to Townsville’s Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in an Australian-first in April.
The landmark Wedgwood: Artists and Industry exhibition charts the complex history and cutting-edge creativity of Wedgwood. Wedgwood is an English fine china porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on May 1, 1759, by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood. Wedgwood became one of the largest manufacturers of Staffordshire pottery.
Exclusive to Australia in 2025, this exhibition will take gallery visitors on a journey through more than 200 years of Wedgwood.
Townsville City Galleries director Holly Arden says she is proud to be part of the team bringing this remarkable exhibition to North Queensland.
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“Wedgwood is a coup for us, further cementing Townsville as the North Queensland capital of arts and culture,” Arden says. “Townsville is celebrated nationally as a creative hub for Australian ceramics. This exhibition is making its Australian premiere in Townsville and will be exclusive to our city for 2025, which means we’ll be welcoming plenty of visitors who will travel from across the country to explore this remarkable collection.
“Wedgwood: Artists and Industry is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some extremely rare pieces. Visitors need to know that this is nothing like looking inside your grandma’s china cabinet. The company’s founder Josiah Wedgwood was like an early Kim Kardashian – a brand powerhouse.
“At the same time, the Wedgwood story is woven into Australia’s colonial history. Explorer Joseph Banks actually supplied Josiah with clays sourced from Sydney Cove, which were used to create a medallion commemorating the landing of the First Fleet in 1788.”
Wedgwood: Artists and Industry will mark the first time Perc Tucker Regional Gallery hosts a paid exhibition, bringing the North Queensland capital’s gallery into line with other nationally recognised galleries that host internationally renowned artworks.
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Visitors to Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will see pieces spanning more than 200 years across five distinct chapters, giving them the opportunity to learn the history of this household name and its global impact on the world of ceramics while exploring a completely immersive exhibition experience.
V&A Wedgwood Collection chief curator Catrin Jones says the museum is thrilled to share some of its most prized pieces with Australian audiences in this new exhibition.
“This exhibition showcases the artistry of Wedgwood and the extraordinary technical innovations that mark out this company over four centuries through highlights from the V&A’s Wedgwood collections and archives,” Jones says.
Townsville councillor Liam Mooney says the city has a long history of championing ceramics.
“Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is the home of the North Queensland Ceramic Awards, which celebrates excellence in Australian ceramics during its biennial exhibition,” Mooney says. “The awards are highly anticipated across the nation and prove there is a healthy appetite for ceramics here in Townsville. Hosting Wedgwood: Artists and Industry takes the city’s reputation as a ceramics hub and catapults it to the next level, showcasing our city’s arts scene on an international stage.”
The Wedgwood: Artists and Industry exhibition is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
Wedgwood: Artists and Industry will be on show at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, April to August.