JOHANN CARL KOSTER

In about 1880, Johann Carl Koster, son of Georg Philipp Koster of Hessen, Germany, started a brickworks business on a patch of suitable clay in North Norwood (now Trinity Gardens). Johann was initially trained as a brickmaker at Cox Brothers of Norwood, but his bent was otherwise, and there issued from his kilns a range of Bristol ware, brown and yellow jugs, teapots and dishes. A writer in the Descriptive Australian Guide of 1890 thought his product compared well in quality with the imported article, but in price it was higher because of the labour costs of eight to nine shillings (80 to 90 cents) a day.

By 1904 Koster’s Premier Pottery of North Norwood was advertising a variety of jars, spirit bottles, jugs, bowls, brewing barrels, water filters and pitchers, bread pans, milk scalders, jam jars and flower pots.
After Johann’s death in 1912, the business as carried on by his four sons; Kelly attended to administration, Gordon to marketing, Norman and Fred (born 1900 and christened Federal Century!) specialised in glazing. At first the clay came from the locality but in time an excellent supply was found at Woolcalla, a railway siding north of Port Augusta. Local railway workers were happy to do the digging, bagging and loading for the extra pay.

Glazes also improved as the company experimented with other South Australian materials. Electric power allowed diversification into a range of new industrial and household goods such as insulators, elements and electric jugs. Manufacturing processes were changed to cut costs, so that women on pressers and moulders supplanted the age old hand throwing which had been done largely by men.

Other technical changes included oil-firing instead of wood and coal; then in 1969 a gas-fired tunnel kiln with automatic controls largely replaced human judgement about temperature and timing. This innovation proved to be the last, for none of the third generation of Kosters took over the family business. Moreover, the firm suffered a great blow with the loss of almost $30,000 by the defalcations of their trusted and well-liked accountant.

When in 1977 the firm failed to sell the pottery as a going concern, the land and buildings were acquired by the Payneham Council to develop as a public reserve. Thus an attractive and historically interesting bottle kiln has been preserved in the reserve between Avonmore and Ashbrook Avenues in Trinity Gardens.

(Payneham-Garden Village to City. James Warbuton-Payneham Council 1983) This book is in the Trust’s Library

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