About Happs Pottery
Myles Happ and Pottery
My ceramic experience is both broad and limited.
I’ve nearly 30 years of a largely reduction fired stoneware career behind me and another 15+ years of journey hopefully in front.
Raising a family has perhaps been a higher priority than the studio career as I have developed a well established range of decorations with limited time to allocate to new work. I loved coaching them and going camping… giving the kids practical experiences which have an enduring life memory as well.
Pottery has been a part of me all of my life.
Here’s a few mental images.
As a child of the studio arts movement I grew up digging and preparing clay, making pottery and innocently absorbing a fairly technical education.
Fast forward 40 years and these days I run a pottery and honey shop and the supporting infrastructure in rural West Australia.
I’ve never been an exhibiting artist. My comfort zone is artisanal production pottery that we offer in a wide range of reduction fired stoneware glazes.
25 years of raising children and supporting a family as a craftsman has been a monumental journey and while the cycles have come and gone and come back more recently, the growth has been constant.
Every day presents the opportunity to do whatever I want. This year I’m excited to have committed to the tuition from a master from one of the world’s great ceramic universities as I do a glazing course. Yes, I’m really excited for the outcomes!
Marketing and publishing on the internet and the associated documentation has not been my thing. Or my wife’s thing. I don’t have the confidence to put all the crazy stuff I do out there. Jacquie captures odd moments and shares them.
Happs Pottery is our business and we have Insta, Facebook, Google and Trip Advisor profiles.
Happs Pottery on Caves Road
We began our long pottery production journey at the winery on Commonage Road and then decided to expand our opportunities by opening Happs Pottery on Caves Road, where we live and have the studio.
Pottery took a bit of a dive in the noughties – lots of white wares were around so Myles began his foray into beekeeping. It’s his observation of the bee hive culture that really excited him – the way they all worked together with the Queen Bee. This hobby has become a rather successful business. Our honey is available on site and at a few other special places around the district.
And we managed to get by on the sale of our pottery, educating our four amazing children (now adults fending for themselves) and participating in community life with our various volunteering interests.
We had big dreams though. To build a lesson room and share the tools of the trade, and have more space to fulfill corporate orders, and establishing the gallery and honey shop.
And we are doing it one space at a time!
The gallery and honey shop will one day be upgraded but for now, our work is on display in the old cottage home.
There is a new shed that will be where ‘things’ go when new ideas are generated! It is also a storage area, extraction room and office. Well, it’s mainly those last three.
Pottery Experiences
While Myles was dabbling in giving lessons, the lesson experience began in earnest when Finn came back from New Zealand. He was mucking around with pottery and did some demos for community. He found himself enjoying the teaching part of making pottery.
While he has since moved on, he has established with Myles, a lovely and achievable pottery experience for beginners of all ages. For an hour and a half, people can down phones and concentrate on shaping a piece of clay into something small and maybe functional! They talk to each other and laugh without tech distractions. It is wonderful!
Our pottery lesson room is constantly evolving as we grow towards a new building.
Corporate Giftware
Covid was good to us. People have rediscovered the joy of handmade pottery alongside making bread!
Ramsay Healthcare surprised us with an order for 7,200 gifts for their hardworking hospital staff. We had to create the pottery, gift wrap them in a box, put them up into cartons and ship them out on pallets.
It was an amazing experience and we DID it and know we did it well! So well, that we got another order in 2021 for 7,500 gifts. We understand that we can scale up when we need to. And though the learning journey was steep and mired, the knowledge gained at the end was very significant.
We can do it if we have notice!
Yes, get in touch if you are looking for a corporate gift. Email jacquie@happspottery.com.au
A Bit About Myles and Jacquie
åMyles was a trailblazer of the Cape Mountain Bike Club as founder and president, working to build the trail networks in Meelup Regional Park – Zone 6. One of the black tracks is named Happy Milo – wonder who that is? It brings him great joy to see young people riding their bikes around because more often than not, they have been up on the trails, and there is a healthy culture of outdoors because of that time investment.
Another great project that Myles is proud of is the production of a map of artisans, bringing together potters, metal and timber workers and glass blowers, jewellers and painters that led to the establishment of the Margaret River Artisans. He ran around and collected money to print an A4 map he created and this became a folded colour map. Some are still around if you are lucky!
Myles is a master potter who started when he was a child. He began potting in earnest when he finished high school, and then as a father of four, it became his full time work. In 2023, Myles undertook a course in glazing and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. There are several new glazes that now grace the shelves.
Jacquie has been a president of the Dunsborough & Districts Progress Association for many, many years – and through that manages the Dunsborough Arts Festival (a baby from 2000!), and other civic events. She helped facilitate four stages of street art work in Dunsborough. She is Vice Chair of the award winning Margaret River Region Open Studios and Building Busselton Town Team, and an active member of the Friends of the Busselton Cultural Precinct. She works at the City of Busselton as the Cultural Development Officer and really enjoys this work.
In 2023, after 35 years of watching Myles make pottery, she woke and decided to make pots too! She readily admits there is a long, long way to go but enjoys hand building and some throwing, and seeing what kinds of techniques she can play with.
Jacquie has been awarded the Naturaliste Gratitude Award for Dunsborough & Districts residents; City of Busselton Community Appreciation and Recognition Award; and twice been presented with the Australia Day Active / Community Citizen of the Year within the City of Busselton.
In 2024, Jacquie received an Order of Australia Medal which is a tribute to her community services to the region in tourism and the arts. We are all proud of her achievement, which she says, is for all of the family and the community groups she is a part of.
About Myles Happ
A Life in Clay
Myles Happ’s ceramic experience is both broad and grounded — a lifetime spent with his hands in clay, always learning, always evolving. With nearly 30 years of experience working primarily in reduction-fired stoneware, he still looks forward to the next 15+ years of exploration and growth.
While pottery has always been central to his life, raising a family often took the front seat. During those years, he built a well-established range of functional and decorative works, though time for new creations was limited. Coaching his kids, camping, and passing on practical life skills became treasured priorities — and unforgettable memories.
Rooted in the Studio Arts Movement
From a young age, Myles was immersed in the studio pottery world — digging and preparing clay, throwing pots, and absorbing technical knowledge long before he realized it. That foundation led him to a lifelong pursuit of craft.
Today, Myles runs Happs Pottery and a boutique honey shop, Icon Honey, from his home studio in rural Western Australia. The business supports not just the family, but a lifestyle deeply connected to nature, community, and creativity.
Not an Exhibiting Artist — and Proud of It
Though he doesn’t consider himself an exhibiting artist, Myles is a dedicated craftsman. His comfort zone is in artisanal production pottery — functional wares in a wide variety of reduction-fired stoneware glazes, made to be used and loved.
Supporting a family through handmade pottery for over 25 years has been both challenging and rewarding. While the demands of life have shifted over time, one thing has remained constant: the growth that comes from persistence, curiosity, and doing the work every day.
Still Learning, Still Inspired
In 2024, Myles enrolled in a glazing course with a master from one of the world’s leading ceramic universities — a personal milestone and exciting new chapter in his journey as a potter.
He’s the first to admit that marketing and social media aren’t his strong suits. Nor are they Jacquie’s. But together, they’ve built a family business rooted in authenticity, skill, and a love of making. Jacquie occasionally captures candid moments in the studio and shares them online — giving a glimpse into their creative world.
Follow Happs Pottery
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They’re not just building pottery — they’re building a legacy, one handmade piece at a time.
Pottery Experiences
Myles and Jacquie believe everyone should experience the joy of working with clay—at least once in their lives. Their pottery lessons offer a relaxed and welcoming environment where guests can unplug from their screens and connect with their creativity.
The idea began when their son, Finn, returned from New Zealand and rediscovered the wheel. He was quickly drawn to sharing the experience with others. Although Finn has since moved on, the lesson he developed with Myles has become a beloved offering at Happs Pottery.
In just 90 minutes, participants create a small piece—something functional, personal, and uniquely their own. The studio hums with laughter, gentle guidance, and the earthy satisfaction of hands in clay. The lesson space, much like Myles and Jacquie’s creative journey, continues to evolve and inspire.
Corporate Gifts
In an age of mass production, handmade gifts stand out. When COVID slowed the world down, people rediscovered the value of artisan goods—and we were ready.
Ramsay Healthcare came to us with an extraordinary request: 7,200 handmade pottery gifts to thank their hospital staff. We rolled up our sleeves, got to work, and delivered each item—carefully crafted, boxed, and shipped with pride. In 2021, they came back for 7,500 more.
We now know we can scale up when needed—given time and planning. Each order is a journey, but the results are worth it: heartfelt, handcrafted items that reflect your appreciation.
Looking for a memorable corporate gift? Get in touch at jacquie@happspottery.com.au
A Bit About Myles and Jacquie
Myles: Trailblazer and Community Connector
Myles was a founding member and president of the Cape Mountain Bike Club, where he played a leading role in building the trail networks in Meelup Regional Park – Zone 6. One of the black diamond trails is affectionately named Happy Milo — a little nod to his influence. He takes great joy in seeing young people out riding, knowing that the culture of outdoor activity thrives thanks to those early efforts.
Another legacy project of Myles’ is the original map of regional artisans. He gathered local potters, woodworkers, metal and glass artists, jewellers, and painters into a visual directory that evolved into the Margaret River Artisans. What started as an A4 map he printed himself became a professionally folded, full-colour guide. A few originals are still floating around if you’re lucky!
A Master Potter, Always Learning
Myles began potting in childhood, and by the time he finished high school, it had become a serious pursuit. As a father of four, pottery became his full-time vocation — and he’s never looked back. In 2023, he enrolled in a professional glazing course and loved every moment of it. The shelves now showcase a number of fresh, vibrant glazes developed through that experience.
Jacquie: Community Leader and Arts Advocate
Jacquie has served as the long-time president of the Dunsborough & Districts Progress Association, where she helped bring the Dunsborough Arts Festival to life — a community staple since 2000. She’s been a key force in four major street art initiatives in Dunsborough and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Margaret River Region Open Studios and the Building Busselton Town Team. She’s also an active member of the Friends of the Busselton Cultural Precinct.
Professionally, Jacquie works as the Cultural Development Officer at the City of Busselton — a role she is deeply passionate about, supporting arts and cultural projects that make the region vibrant and connected.
A New Path in Clay
In 2023, after 35 years of watching Myles throw and glaze, Jacquie decided it was time to get her hands dirty too. She began making pots — experimenting with hand-building, some wheel throwing, and exploring the creative techniques that come naturally to her artistic spirit. She happily admits there’s still a long journey ahead but finds great joy in the process.
Recognised for Her Impact
Jacquie has been honoured with several awards over the years for her tireless community involvement:
- Naturaliste Gratitude Award – Dunsborough & Districts
- City of Busselton Community Appreciation & Recognition Award
- Australia Day Active / Community Citizen of the Year (twice)
In 2024, Jacquie received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in recognition of her contributions to community development, the arts, and regional tourism. She considers this a shared achievement — for her family and the many passionate community groups she’s proud to represent.
The Story of Caves Road
Our journey began at the original Happs Winery on Commonage Road, where we first set up our pottery studio. As our ideas grew, so did our need for space. Eventually, we made the move to Caves Road—a place we now call home, and the heart of Happs Pottery.
In the early 2000s, pottery faced a downturn. White wares flooded the market and demand for traditional stoneware dipped. That’s when Myles turned to another lifelong fascination: bees. His fascination with the collaborative life of the hive—working together in harmony under the Queen—sparked what’s now a thriving honey business. Our pure, local honey is available right here and in select locations around the South West.
Through it all, we’ve raised four incredible children, shared our skills with the community, and slowly expanded our dream—one space at a time. From a cozy old cottage gallery to a new shed (aka the ideas incubator), we’re always creating, planning, and growing into our vision.
Want to Meet the Makers?
Stop by Happs Pottery on Caves Road or join a class to experience the joy of handmade ceramics.