Greg Hill’s new research, using contemporary newspapers and other resources now easily available on Trove, has found a raft of previously unknown potteries operating in Victoria in the 19th century. These push back the dates of Victorian pottery manufacture into the 1840s. Many examples of these wares however were overlooked and unrecognised, because the names of their potteries suggested a British origin. Until now, the earliest date for pottery manufacture in Victoria was thought to be in the 1860s, with a few potteries operating long and successfully into the 20th century. Most potteries were small operations run by people from diverse backgrounds, producing different types of ceramic goods, augmenting and often pre-dating the bigger, well-known potteries.