AS pottery expert Geoff Ford would happily tell you, sometimes it pays to be persistent.
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As co-owners and directors of the National Museum of Australian Pottery at Holbrook, he and Kerrie Ford knew they had to be the first to exhibit a rare find by archaeologists in 2008.
Their persistence paid off at the weekend when they opened “The Sherds of Thomas Ball”.
It displays the earliest Australian-made pottery ever found, having been uncovered in George Street, Haymarket by Sydney firm Casey & Lowe.
“We knew the archaeologists and have been pestering them ever since,” Mr Ford said.
“It’s the first exhibition of its kind to the general public... it’s a coup for Holbrook, our museum is the only museum of its kind in Australia.”
Thomas Ball, a trained Staffordshire potter transported to Australia for seven years as a convict in 1797, set up a pottery in Sydney about 1801.
The display features reconstructed pieces including dishes, bowls, cups and saucers and is open for 10 months.
The museum is open 9.30am-4.30pm daily except Wednesday.