About Slateworks

I spent eleven years at the University of Adelaide researching material culture, specifically how domestic objects carry social meaning across generations. My doctorate was on ceramic production in Song dynasty households, which sounds obscure until you realise it is basically a study of how people set a table and what that says about them. I published papers, taught seminars, attended conferences in Taipei and Edinburgh. None of that prepared me for the moment in 2019 when I had to furnish a rented house in Castlemaine on about four hundred dollars and found almost nothing worth buying. Everything was either disposable or aggressively styled. That gap bothered me more than I expected.

Before the move to Castlemaine I had never seriously made anything with my hands. My research was archival, material in the sense of studying objects rather than producing them. But I had always spent weekends at the Salamanca Market in Hobart picking up pieces made by local ceramicists and stonemasons, partly out of habit and partly because I genuinely liked understanding how things were constructed. I knew slate well from fieldwork in southern Tasmania and from a supplier contact near Huonville who had been quarrying the same seam for thirty years. That knowledge sat dormant for a long time. It did not feel like the basis for a business. It felt like background reading.

— Make things worth keeping. — Chuan, Chuan Li

Our team

• Brigitte Szabo — Production and Finishing: Brigitte came to Slateworks in early 2022 after spending six years doing stone restoration work for heritage properties around the Macedon Ranges. She handles the grinding, edging, and surface finishing for all slate pieces, and she introduced the cork-backing process that reduced table scratch complaints to near zero. On most days she is in the workshop by seven and finishes the finishing log by hand before anything ships.
• Devereux Okafor — Orders and Logistics: Devereux joined in mid-2023 after managing warehouse dispatch for a ceramics importer based in Fitzroy North. He runs all outbound orders, coordinates freight with the Ballarat stoneware supplier, and built the packing spec that brought breakage rates down from around four percent to under one percent over six months. He works three days a week from the Castlemaine workshop and two days remotely from his place in Kyneton.
• Yuki Tanaka — Photography and Product Content: Yuki is a Ballarat-based photographer who started shooting for Slateworks in late 2022 on a per-project basis and moved to a regular monthly arrangement in 2023. She photographs all product lines on location, usually at the Castlemaine workshop or at a rented space in Daylesford, and handles the product copy for new listings. She studied photography at RMIT and spent three years shooting food and interiors for a print magazine in Melbourne before going independent.

Frequently asked questions

How long will my order take to arrive?

Standard delivery takes 3–8 business days depending on your location. Express delivery via StarTrack is typically 1–3 business days for metro areas. Remote and regional addresses may take a few extra days.

Do you offer free shipping?

Yes. Orders over $120 AUD qualify for free standard shipping Australia-wide. Orders under that threshold attract a flat shipping rate calculated at checkout.

Can I return a product if I change my mind?

Yes, we accept change-of-mind returns within 30 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. Return shipping costs are the buyer's responsibility for change-of-mind returns.

How do I care for the porcelain and ceramic pieces?

The porcelain bowls and ceramic mugs are dishwasher safe on the top rack, but handwashing is recommended to preserve the glaze over time. Avoid soaking pieces for extended periods.

Are the slate serving platters and placemats food safe?

Yes. All slate pieces are food safe and sealed with a non-toxic finish. We recommend wiping them down with a damp cloth rather than submerging them in water, as prolonged soaking can affect the sealant.

What materials do you use?

We use natural slate, stoneware porcelain, and stonewashed linen sourced to meet food-safe and durability standards. Chuan works with these materials out of the Castlemaine workshop in Victoria.

Do you offer custom or personalised orders?

We do take on select custom orders for larger quantities, such as restaurant sets or corporate gifts. Email us at hello@slateworkssupply.com with your requirements and we'll let you know what's possible.

Do you offer wholesale pricing?

Yes, wholesale accounts are available for retailers and hospitality businesses. Send your business details and an estimated order volume to wholesale@slateworkssupply.com and we'll get back to you within 3 business days.

Customer reviews

• 5/5 “Exactly what I was after” Ordered the Charcoal Speckled Porcelain Bowls and they arrived within three days, which was quicker than I expected for standard post. The finish is even and they sit flat without any wobble. I've used them every day since they arrived.
• 4/5 “Solid platter, great size” The Blackstone Slate Serving Platter is a good size for a cheese board — fits everything without feeling cramped. One corner had a very faint chip out of the box, but I emailed Slateworks and they sent a replacement no questions asked. Good customer service.
• 5/5 “Table runner looks great” The Graphite Linen Table Runner is a nice weight and the colour is a true grey, not the washed-out version you sometimes get in photos. It did need a quick iron after unpacking but that's expected with linen. Really happy with it.
• 5/5 “Mugs hold heat well” Bought the Slate Grey Ceramic Mug Collection as a housewarming gift and kept a couple for myself. They're heavier than standard mugs which I like, and coffee stays warm noticeably longer. Packaging was solid — all six arrived intact.
• 4/5 “Placemats are practical” The Obsidian Slate Placemats are thicker than I expected, which is a good thing. They don't slide around on the table and wipe clean easily. I knocked off one star only because the delivery took seven business days, though the product itself is worth the wait.
• 5/5 “Really well made bowls” I've ordered from a few local ceramics places and the Charcoal Speckled Porcelain Bowls from Slateworks are the most consistent in terms of glaze and shape across the set. No two are identical but they clearly come from the same batch. Shipping to Hobart was faster than I expected too.

From the journal

• How one dinner party in 2021 started all this — I needed a serving platter for eight people and found nothing that didn't look like it belonged in a hotel buffet.
• What I found at the quarry in the Strathbogie Ranges — I drove three hours to stand in a working quarry and ask questions that the quarry manager had never been asked before.
• Setting a winter table without buying anything new — A practical look at how I actually use the linen runner and ceramic pieces together at my own table in March.
• Why every set of bowls comes out slightly different — The speckle pattern in the charcoal porcelain bowls varies between firings, and I've stopped trying to make it consistent.
• What the 2024 stock take actually taught me — I spent three evenings in November counting inventory and found two things I'd been wrong about for over a year.
• Notes from a linen mill visit outside Geelong — I went looking for an Australian linen source in February and found something smaller and more interesting than I expected.