Crown Lynn pottery: A Kiwi icon

Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd was established in 1948 by Tom Clark, whose vision was to fill New Zealand homes with locally made homeware.

The Crown Lynn brand grew out of the ‘specials department’ of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company (Ambrico), which was managed by Tom Clark’s father.

By the 1960s, Crown Lynn Potteries Ltd was the largest pottery company in the Southern Hemisphere. At its height in the 1970s, Crown Lynn was producing 15 million pieces a year.

The following decade, however, witnessed the company’s demise and Crown Lynn closed its gates in 1989. Today, the Crown Lynn brand remains a firm favourite amongst many New Zealanders.