STONEMASONS’ WORK

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 11

STONEMASONS’ WORK

Situation In N.Z. Stonemasons in New South Wales are worried that the trade is likely to die out because of lack of apprentices. There are 350 stonemasons in New South Wales and only five apprentices. The position in New Zealand is much the same but many boys are entering the allied trades of stone carving and stone working. In Wellington no boys have been apprenticed to the trade for a good many years, but there the position is different from the rest of New Zealand because Wellington does not supply stone and masons have to depend on Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin for stone. Mr R. J. Hampton, a local monumental mason, said that although only one boy was apprenticed to the stonemason trade in Christchurch last year-many others were entering the allied trades of stone carving and stone working. “Stone working in Christchurch is far from dying out,” said Mr Hampton. “On the contrary, increased building has caused the industry to flourish as never before. “Just as the blacksmith of yesterday has all but disappeared so too has the old type of of stone mason. However, the old craftsmen have largely been replaced by men skilled in the use of machinery. ‘We call a person who carries opt metal work using- modern equipment not a blacksmith but an engineer. The stonemason of today is known as a stone worker. “The work that a stonemason of 50 years ago could turn out usitg hand tools would be only one eighth of the work of his modern counterpart, the stone worker, using modern equipment,” said Mr Hampton.