Fowler Potteries
| Company type | Public (after 1919) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ceramics manufacturing |
| Founded | January 1, 1837 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia |
| Founder | Enoch Fowler |
| Fate | Acquired in 1968; brand now part of Caroma |
| Headquarters | New South Wales , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Robert Fowler (manager from 1873, owner from 1879) |
| Products | Ceramics, including ginger beer bottles, kitchen implements, drainpipes, bricks, fire bricks, tiles, ceramic kitchenware, electric insulators, bathroom products |
Number of employees | 400 (1919) |
| Parent | James Hardie (from 1982) |
Fowler Potteries, subsequently known as R. Fowler Sydney and later R. Fowler Limited, was a ceramics producer based in New South Wales, Australia. The brand now operates under the name Fowler as part of Caroma. It holds the distinction of being Australia's longest-standing ceramics manufacturer still in existence.
History
Established in 1837 by Enoch Fowler in Parramatta, the company relocated to Glebe in 1848, where it initially manufactured ginger beer bottles and various kitchen implements. By 1860, the firm had concentrated its production on four-inch drainpipes, which became its primary product line. In 1865, the business moved to Camperdown, broadening its range to include bricks, fire bricks, tiles, and ceramic kitchenware items.
Management passed to Enoch’s son, Robert Fowler, who took charge in 1873 and officially inherited the company in 1879. Following his death in 1906, manufacturing operations were transferred to Marrickville. Between 1919 and 1922, Fowler transitioned into a public company under the name R. Fowler Limited and expanded into producing electric insulators.
By 1919, the workforce had grown to approximately 400 employees. Additional manufacturing sites were established in Thomastown (1927) and Lithgow. Although severely impacted by the Great Depression, the introduction of Fowler Ware—a line of ceramic kitchenware—in 1936 helped restore the company’s financial health. Collectors continue to value Fowler pottery from both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
In 1968, Fowler was acquired by another corporation and underwent division in 1982. One segment along with the brand was sold to James Hardie, which converted Fowler into its bathroom products division. By 1983, James Hardie had discontinued Fowler’s distinctive bathroom colour palette—lemon, blue, pink, and green.
The Victorian factory ceased operations in 1983. Manufacturing was eventually shifted overseas, and by 24 February 2017, toilet pans were marketed under the Caroma brand.