The sizeable prizemoney offered at Port Macquarie’s sesqui-centenary celebrations exhibition at Thrumster Village was the best ever offered in Australia and could be regarded “breakthrough” for potters.

This comment was made by the judge at the exhibition, Mr. Ivan McMeekin, instructor in ceramics at the University of New South Wales.

He told a preview audience at the exhibition on Tuesday night that it was most interesting, and really something for a country town such as Port Macquarie, to be the first to offer such prize money.

Mr. McMeekin spoke interestingly, amid the intriguing surroundings of the pots, on how he had judged them. He said he remembered what a famous art critic had once said, “that it’s not a bad idea when you go into a gallery to let the pictures look at you for a while?”

That idiom of expression associated with potting is most noticeable here, he said, and he congratulated Mrs. Dorothy Hope – and Port Macquarie - on such a fine exhibition.

Mr. McMeekin awarded first prize to a New South Wales potter, Mr. Derek Smith, of Sydney, for a large stoneware bowl with a strong blue glaze.

First prize was worth $300, because of a donation of $400 from Esso Standard Oil Co. to Port Macquarie’s sesqui-centenary; the other $100 went to the second prize.

This was also won by a Sydney potter, Mr. Peter Ruthworth, who exhibited a stoneware blossom jar with beautifully contrasting light greys and dark bodies.

All the pots on exhibition are for sale and totalled up the value of the exhibits asked by the potters is $2,500.00.

Dorothy and Jack Hope were hosts to a large crowd on Tuesday evening; they served sherry and savouries and allowed everyone to enjoy the pleasant surroundings at the “new look” Thrumster Village, with its feature wall of glazed bricks backing a pleasant rustic scene.

Dr. Harry Hodgson, representing the sesqui-centenary committee, was among those present, and to him fell the honour of opening the exhibition.

Dr. Hodgson praised Mrs. Hope for the magnificent manner in which she had presented the pots and the exhibition generally.

Mrs. Hope, the potter at Thrumster Village, did not enter the exhibition which she so capably arranged, and a good deal of interest was engendered among the “amateurs” present, comparing Mrs. Hope’s work with the pots on exhibition.

A high standard is certainly being achieved at Thrumster Village.

More Powers for Staff?

At Tuesday night’s works committee meeting, Ald. N. Matesich said council should delegate more powers to its senior staff. He said that as the town grows, aldermen will find they are unable to cope with all the business.

“Even now, council is finding that important matters in finance are being skipped over because the meetings are so late,”; he said.

Ald. Matesich was reporting on a seminar which he and Ald. Kennedy attended at the University of New England. He said it was regrettable that council did not send all the aldermen and senior staff to the seminar.

“The few dollars involved would have been more than compensated by the invaluable information gained,” he said.