Roundabout with Philip Liner - Coromandel Peninsula - Mining / Pottery

Two episodes of "Roundabout with Philip Liner" recorded on the Coromandel Peninsula.

In the first episode Coromandel potter Barry Brickell talks to Philip Liner about his pottery work and his interests in trains.
He moved to Coromandel in the 1960s and says he was possibly one of the first two full-time potters in New Zealand. He talks about his interest in geology and clays and also machinery.

Mr Brickell has a narrow-gauge mountain railway he operates to help him in the pottery, by bringing wood down as fuel down for his kilns and steam-driven pug-mill. He has planted a pine plantation for fuel but is also planting native plants to replace pine trees as they are felled.

He established the pottery as an exercise in communal living. He took young people off the streets and in exchange for teaching them pottery they helped him build the pottery. Many of them still share the facilities with him. He talks about the process of designing large-scale art works in clay, such as the large dog he is making for the National Library.

[Short instrumental music interlude followed by sound effects of Barry's narrow-gauge railway.]

Barry tells Philip about the conservation project he has instigated on his property and shows him the clay from the property which he uses in his work. He explains plans to open the railway to the public, put in walkways through the regenerating native forest and develop the land further for visitors. [Further railway sound effects.]

In the second programme, Philip Liner is in the Karangahake gold mine with manager Kraus Rimmer. He gives a description of the mine, with the sound effects of mining in the background. Mr Rimmer talks about the working of the mine.
Philip Liner also interviews the manager of the Martha Mine, Bob Drury, who describes the mine and the equipment used.