A lifetime of pottery and friendship

For more than half a century, the Gunnedah Pottery Club has been a place where creativity, laughter, and friendship have taken shape. Among the club’s most cherished members are lifelong friends and life members Pat and Anne, whose shared love of clay has moulded not only beautiful artworks but also a bond that has lasted 50 years.

Pat, now 91, joined the Gunnedah Pottery Club in February 1976, just nine months after it began. A Gunnedah-based artist and ceramicist for most of her life, Pat has become the club’s longest-serving member and a much-loved pottery teacher. Known by fellow members as “ever modest in her achievements,” she has generously shared her skills, wisdom and quiet encouragement with countless students over the decades. Anne has been alongside her for much of that journey, contributing her own creativity and commitment as a fellow life member and trusted friend.

The club itself was established in June 1975, when a small group of local potters first met in the old Gunnedah Showground poultry shed (now the site of the basketball stadium) to form what would become a much-loved creative hub. Today, the club has 32 members and operates from the well-equipped Pat Tobin Pottery Shed at the Gunnedah Showgrounds, complete with wheels, kilns, tools and glazes.

In 2014, the shed received a makeover thanks to a Gunnedah Shire Council grant, and in 2023 it was formally named in Pat’s honour - a fitting tribute to a woman whose passion continues to shape both clay and community.

Pat also shares that passion with residents at Mackellar Apex Road aged care home, proving that creativity and connection have no age limit.

Through shared exhibitions, sold artworks, and countless hours spent side by side at the wheel, Pat and Anne’s story is a beautiful reminder that friendship, like pottery, is shaped slowly - and lasts a lifetime.

Stories like this remind us just how important social connection is for our health and wellbeing. Staying engaged with your community, pursuing creative interests, and nurturing friendships can make a real difference at any stage of life. If you’d like support to stay connected to the people and activities you love, contact us to find out how we can help.