BACKGROUND:
If you have looked at our other advertisements, it can be noticed that we like to "fill out" the item descriptions with as much information as we can, either from a personal perspective or research online.
These descriptions can be quite lengthy, so sit down and have a cuppa at the ready ... let's set out on the expedition of discovery into the South Australian desert ... away we go!
This ceramic art plate holds special significance for me although with the passage of time, it's relevance to me doesn't hold any longer so "out the door" it must go. Here is the story ...
Way back in the late 80's ~ early 90's I had a good friend who was an "Opal nut", working in the big city (Sydney) during the week and then shooting off to dig (or should I say burrow?) for his fortune at Lightning Ridge, Yes he was struck by Opal Fever, he was always dreaming of finding THE gemstone! I was never in the same frame of mind (hunting for my fortune in Opals) but the stories he told were fascinating ... he told me about this guy across in South Australia, at a place called Coober Pedy, who lived in the world of the Opal hunter but he did so much more as he was the local outback Postman and of all things, a ceramic artist to boot! My friend gave me this dish that he had bought from this guy while he was visiting Coober Pedy and the idea was that it would encourage me to go to this strange place to "check it out", not so much for the Opals but to meet this guy who (from the sound of it) was quite a character, tough as nails and a ceramic's artist to boot!
Over the years, electronics was my "thing" and it kept me very very busy and mainly "city bound" so the opportunity to "drop in" on Coober Pedy and meet this bloke personally never arose.
That person was Peter Rowe. A long time dweller in Coober Pedy, living in a "dug out", who was the official outback Postman (and running freight as a side-line) running the Oodnadatta Track route delivering mail twice a week and covering more than 600Km two times a week for over twenty years.
Peter the "Postie"
Not satisfied with that (and getting paid work is not easy to find out in those neck of the woods), he began his studio pottery business at his home (a dug out) under the ground, thus the name of his business Underground Pottery. Sadly, the opportunity to meet Peter is now gone as he passed away just last year (2025), his property was sold and there is no evidence left of his endeavours - the Underground Pottery is no more.
Sad but that's life ...
Peter's chosen place of residence for a large slice of his life was Coober Pedy, a very strange looking town which is a LONG way from "mainstream city slicker life"
Coober Pedy gets very very hot and sits on the edge of the infamous WPA (Woomera Prohibited Area). That's the area (actually a VERY large area) where the Australian Defence test their latest weapons and also where the British tested their nuclear weapons back in the 1950's (Marilinga) beginning with Operation Buffalo and then a string of further tests followed.
Officially though, the Marilinga area was removed from the WPA zone and handed back to the traditional owners in 2014 ... nice! It was like "we have contaminated your land but finished screwing it up ... here you go mate, you can have it back now" Actually, the Australian Government did make moves to clean up most of the 3,200-square-kilometre site and it was cleared to standards deemed safe for restricted access and returned to the traditional owners, the Maralinga Tjarutja people. Marilinga is approximately 330Km (straight line) from Coober Pedy so these radiation issues are not of concern to the local residents in Coober Pedy.
Coober Pedy is well known as the major worldwide source of Opal's and this is the main reason that hardy souls move into this environment ...
This is a 'dark opal', not to size, actually the gem is something like the size you could set on a ring - market value A$49,000 presently! You can see why these people who go down into little holes get "Opal Fever"
It's a tough, extreme environment in this area and only those with grit can survive. Fortunately the area is primarily Limestone so the natural thing was to dig into the limestone and create the famous underground homes or "dug outs" because living underground is far more bearable than above. Peter lived and worked at his pottery wheel within his own dug out on his 1.7Ha property.
Peter's home ...
So, we have a guy (Peter) who moves to Coober Pedy and he becomes the official Australia Post "outback postie", travelling considerable distances to deliver the mail and other items to various stations along the Oodnadatta Track. Then in the early 1980's he decides to let loose with his creative juices and began to commercialise his ceramic art designs, his studio being the home dug out.
It does appear that Peter was a prolific "thrower" as even to this day I see quite a lot of his creations mentioned or even for sale online - the memory lives on!
Finally, let's talk a bit about this plate that Peter created in his dug out home studio all those years ago ...
Actually I call it a plate because that's what it looks like! Yes, it does have upturned sides but only very small - it actually looks very much like an "offering plate" you might find at a church ... I even wondered if this plate was made for use at the underground Church but my friend couldn't confirm this ... he probably didn't want to admit to stealing the Church's plate! ... Yes, Coober Pedy does have an underground Church (a must visit they say)
The base clay used by Peter is Terracotta and from what I believe, this type of clay would not have come from the Coober Pedy area although there are suppliers of this clay elsewhere in South Australia.
The top has what I could only describe as a Black/White abstract looking swirling "something" ... to be honest, the plate design is not my cuppa tea as I much prefer good old landscapes and this design doesn't do much for me but the story behind the plate certainly does!
The artwork has a high gloss, I was told that Peter used to double glaze some of his works and I guess this is the reason for the high "shine factor"
Of course the plate has his pottery stamp impressed into the underside along with his own signature (to the right of the stamp)
I have always had this plate on a "plate stand" but the stand is NOT included, it also has special significance and I do not wish to part with it just yet.
The plate measures 220mm diameter x 15mm thick
The plate weighs 509g so most standard plate stands will support this plate easily ... I always had this crazy idea of obtaining (somehow) an Opal encrusted stand but it never happened!
COSMETIC CONDITION:
What can I say?
It is like "new" because when I was given this plate some 35 years ago, it went on a shelf near my (then) office desk as a constant reminder "I must go there one day" Hmmm ... some folk dream of holidays on a sun soaked island, I dreamed of visiting Peter's place and having a 'chin wag" - different courses for different horses.
NO damage of any kind to the topside or underneath
NO mineral salt stains or marks to the Terracotta clay
NO damage to the topside artwork or the glazing
