Photography: Jarrod Barnes
Hannah Gordon’s earliest memories are steeped in clay. With her three siblings, she grew up amid the rolling hills of Gembrook, Victoria, where her parents ran the family business out of a tin shed. “Being surrounded by makers who cared about what they did and about each other continues to shape how I see work, creativity and collaboration today.”
“Being surrounded by people who care deeply about what they do makes even the challenging days rewarding.”
HANNAH GORDON
Hannah’s father, Robert ‘Andy’ Gordon, and mother, Barbara, founded the company in the 1970s, creating captivating ceramic designs that evolved with the day’s fashions. But the family’s history with pottery stretches back further, to the 1940s, when Hannah’s grandparents set up a studio in suburban Melbourne. “My grandparents and parents taught me that work can be meaningful and that craftsmanship carries stories,” says Hannah.
AT A GLANCE
Who: Hannah Gordon, co-director at Robert Gordon Pottery and daughter of Robert ‘Andy’ Gordon.
What they do: Design and hand-craft finely decorated ceramics using Australian clay.
Where: A dedicated pottery studio on Melbourne’s outskirts.
Why they do it: “I grew up alongside the business and want to see it continue to grow,” says Hannah.
Visit @robertgordonpottery; robertgordonaustralia.com
By the time Hannah finished school, she’d spent years helping her parents and had developed a strong work ethic. “There was never a shortage of things to do,” she recalls. “My first jobs were in the packing area, back when each pot was carefully wrapped by hand in newspaper.” It felt natural for Hannah and her brother Bobby to join the business, allowing their parents to take a step back. Today, Hannah and Bobby are co-directors, working across the breadth of the expanding company at its current headquarters in outer Melbourne.
June’s Daisy plates
“There’s no such thing as a typical day for me,” says Hannah. “Clay and kilns are temperamental, so it’s a constant mix of problem solving and responding to what the day throws at us.” Together, the siblings have overseen collaborations with brands including R.M. Williams, and grown the interiors department of the studio, which now offers ceramic basins and lighting. “This year, we are moving the studio to a bigger space,” says Hannah. “It’s all starting to come together.” Their parents, meanwhile, watch proudly from the sidelines. “I always hoped the kids would embrace the business,” says Andy. “Barb and I laid the foundation, but they have added so much value and new direction.”
Andy hopes Robert Gordon Pottery passes into the hands of a fourth generation some day, and that the values he and Barbara built the company on hold firm. “If we can remain respected for the quality of our product and how we treat people, that’s a future I’m happy with.”
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