Morpeth Teapots
The historic town of Morpeth is on the edge of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, a few hours north of Sydney. In it’s heyday through the 1800s it was a busy river port and the birthplace of famous companies including Arnott’s Biscuits, Brambles Industries and Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Although Morpeth residents are very proud of their town and its history, they don’t dwell on the past. They’re too busy preparing for the thousands of visitors who pour into town each year to look at – teapots!
Novelty Teapot Exhibition
Morpeth becomes the teapot capital of the world each year during August and September. The exhibition began five years ago with 97 teapots, but this year there was a display of 1737 made by some of Australia’s best potters and ceramic artists. They included novelty teapots in the form of fruit, vegetables, animals, sea creatures, politicians and a racing car. Huge snowpeople with teapot heads and a belly for storing biscuits were created by sculptor Lyn Rodgers, porcelain artist Florence Humphreys painted wildflowers on teapots, and ceramic artist Jeanne Heydenrych used a teapot to tell the story of the cat and the fiddle. The pièce de résistance was from Western Australia – a bathing beauty, size 18 in her blue and white swimming costume, standing 45cm (18") tall. Apart from all the functional teapots, the exhibition also featured tea and coffee tasting, teapot jewellery, tea strainers, teapot key rings, teapot fruit cakes, teapot soap and tea towels.
Further information
The next Morpeth Teapot Exhibition is from 17-27 August, 2000.