Te Toi Uku

The Portage Ceramics Trust is the charitable trust behind Te Toi Uku, the Crown Lynn & Clayworks Museum. The Trust was formed in 2005 in order to purchase a large private collection relating to Crown Lynn Potteries Limited, a highly successful New Zealand company which operated from 1948 until 1989. Their products were in virtually every New Zealand home. The collection includes not just finished wares but the tools and equipment Crown Lynn used to produce it, as well as an Archive.

Since then a museum called Te Toi Uku has been established next to the historic Gardner Brothers and Parker downdraft kiln in Ambrico Place. Other collections have been added relating to the brick and pipe making industries of West Auckland.

The Museum receives generous grants from Auckland Council, the Portage Licensing Trust as well as other funders such as Foundation North. There is one Curator and a Weekend Host allowing the Museum to be open 4 days a week.

This collection is of national significance and although we are very thankful for the support we receive, we could really do with help to extend our opening hours and broaden our operations.

Te Toi Uku Crown Lynn & Clayworks museum is administered by the Portage Ceramics Trust. It houses a heritage collection from the West Auckland clay industry, from the early clay pipe-making days to the Crown Lynn era.