Located on the banks of the Murray River in Albury, The Pumphouse Makerspace has transformed the old “waterworks” building into a picture-perfect workspace for professional and emerging artists. Photo: Supplied.
Susan Reid believes the artists and creative practitioners that make Albury’s unique Pumphouse Makerspace a place to fine-tune their craft are pretty spoilt.
The facility coordinator said the location right by the Murray River, the renovated heritage building and the breadth of equipment and resources available to its members made it a one of a kind.
“We are right here by the river; it’s a very special place and has always been a really significant place for First Nations people too. It was once the location where all of Albury’s water came through and has always been a place of purpose,” Susan told Region.
“Our members can bring their bathers “to work” and have a swim at lunchtime, go out and connect with nature and then come back and work in a range of spaces with equipment they wouldn’t necessarily have in their own studios.
“All of this adds to the appeal of what we are doing here.”
Opened in November 2024, The Pumphouse Makerspace, an initiative of Albury City Council, is a shared facility designed to cater to a diverse range of makers and creators, from beginners to professional craftspeople.
Originally built in 1884, the pump station, or “waterworks” as it was locally known, is a classic example of 19th century industrial architecture and remnants of its operational history are still present today.
The Pumphouse operates on a membership basis but also holds regular workshops where members of the general public can join in. Photo: Supplied.
With a focus on bolstering creative industries and supporting the career of artists, the building has been reimagined to offer professional grade tools and machines and shared spaces which cater to a variety of artistic disciplines from ceramics, jewellery making and printing to small sculpture and all types of textile arts.
“All of our spaces are very versatile and when you become a member you have access to everything that is available; you are not just limited to your own craft,” said Susan.
“We also have members who are beginners and not necessarily a dedicated artist, but who want a good clean space which is away from home to work in.
“It’s a lovely place to come to because it helps you to feel free and be creative.”
There are six pottery wheels, a glaze spray booth and two large kilns for regular firing. In the small works area there are custom-made silversmithing workbenches, a designated soldering station and a laser cutter. For fibre artists there are heavy duty industrial sewing machines, an overlocker, weaving looms and spinning wheels and accessories for making yarn.
“The beauty of it is the availability of equipment that you might not have at home or in another studio, or you might not use all the time so don’t necessarily need to have it.
“We sometimes like to describe it as being like a gym for artists,” she laughed.
“The other part of it is you can work independently or can connect with others.
“Being a creative practitioner can be a bit of a lonely pursuit sometimes so having other members here that you can exchange ideas or techniques with or just have another person here to have a coffee with is a really valuable and important part of it all.”
The centre operates primarily on memberships, anything from $25 per hour to $130 per month, and also hosts a range of workshops and open days that can be accessed by the general public.
Artist in residence in April is Sam Gold, a South Australian artist working with clay as a presentation of a living material in transition. Sam has received multiple awards for their work and has exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Photo: Supplied.
In 2025 there is an artist in residency program which has already seen the likes of award-winning fashion designer Lillardia Briggs-Houston share the art of lino printing and dying a bespoke silk scarf. Lillardia was a recipient of a National Indigenous Fashion Award for three years running and her work has featured in Vogue Australia, Peppermint and Marie Claire.
Coming up in April is South Australian sculptor Sam Gold, followed by ceramicist Jayanto Tan in July, who as part of his creative offering, will host three tea ceremonies in which participants will share experiences, cook together, and create ceramic sculptures that celebrate connection and storytelling.
In October, Melbourne-based gold and silversmith Amy Lees-Doherty, whose works are held in private collections across Australia, the UK, Europe, and Hong Kong, will be in-house.
“Amy will use her residency to design and create jewellery inspired by The Pumphouse and its surrounds,” said Susan.
“She’ll be hosting a perception sketching workshop in which participants use different methods to capture the character of a space or building.”
Over 12 months there will be five artists who will be focusing on their own projects but also sharing skills and insights with the border community.
“The people that we have coming are bringing really unique perspectives that you wouldn’t necessarily find elsewhere,” said Susan.
“In fact, we really think that what we have created here is something incredible. There are other makers’ spaces out there, but we don’t think there’s one that is quite like this.”
You can find out more by visiting The Pumphouse Makerspace or contacting (02) 6041 7200.
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