Terracotta plaque made by Liebentritt & Sons, a copy of a medal awarded by the Agricultural Society of New South Wales made by Hardy Brothers and Sons, London & Sydney, cast in metal.

Copy made By F. Liebentritt, Cumberland Pottery from original by Hardy Bros in the 1870s

Kevin Fahy owned a large collection of nineteeth and early twentieth century Australian ceramics which of which 85/992 is a part. He sold the collection to the museum in 1981.

Paul Liebentritt, born in Austria on October 22 1807, arrived in Australia, from Germany, on 7 December 1857. He came to Australia with his wife Henretta Ellenora and their four sons, Fredrick William, John Henry, George Christian Theodore, and John Frederick.

Paul Liebentritt started a small pottery business on Liverpool Road (Hume Highway) near Enfield, almost opposite the Lion Tile Works. In 1863 he purchased approximately 30 acres of land from John Hunter and established Cumberland Pottery and Tile Works. At this time the area was known as "Barks Hut Estate", and later "Druitt Town" and then "near Enfield". Today it is a suburb called Chullora.

Paul's fourth son, John Fredrick (referred to as Fredrick), initially lived in Camperdown with his wife, Henrita Elizabeth, and worked at Fowlers Pottery on Parramatta Road Camperdown. He later joined his father at Cumberland Pottery where he remained with his wife and five children until his death on 7 July 1935. Paul and John Fredrick became equal partners in Cumberland Pottery on 1 November 1869 but the partnership was dissolved on 31 May 1872. John Frederick continued to run the business under the name F.Liebentritt & Sons, Trading as Cumberland Pottery and Tile Works. The business specialised in the manufacture of architectural Terra Cotta, Baker's Oven Tiles, Horticultural Ware, and Chemical Appliances. Amongst some its major contracts were the supply terra cotta architectural accessories for the building of the Technological Museum and Sydney Technical College. It won numerous awards including; Medal in the Horticultural Society Exhibition 1868; Silver Medal in the Centenary Universal Exhibition 1888; and Medal in the Agricultural Society Exhibition, 1878 and 1898.

John Fredrerick's first daughter, Mary Catherine, married Arthur Edward Rice. Arthur Rice was born in 1868 in Sydney. He was a student at Sydney Technical College where he earned a number of prizes for Modelling (1886), Design (1887 and 1888), Stone and Marble Carving (1890). After completing the course he became a teacher at the College where he remained until 1904 after which he commenced work at Wunderlich as a modeller.

Ernest B. Liebentritt was the youngest son of John Frederrick Liebentritt and manager of Fowlers Pottery, c1920.

Prepared by Peter Arfanis, 1993

Medallion, [plaque], copy, Agricultural Society of New South Wales, earthenware, F Liebentritt & Sons/Cumberland Pottery & Tile Works, Sydney, Australia, c. 1888 Circular medallion of earthenware, moulded in relief on the obverse with a figure of a woman holding a wreath and torch, flanked by cherubs, sheep and sheaves of wheat, on a plinth decorated with friezes indicating three agricultural and manufacturing scenes, inscribed, "Agricultural Society of New South Wales"

Made: F Liebentritt & Sons, Cumberland Pottery & Tile Works; Enfield, New South Wales; 1887 - 1889


Used: Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales;

Owned: Fahy, Kevin;

85/992

1887 - 1889