W. F. Brooking.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11828, 27 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

W. F. Brooking.

' MONUMENTAL MASON.

There is often much of art in th* 4 trade of the monumental worker. A great block of marble, under the hand of the expert, is reduces to a graceful

monolith or stately monument. Such advance has been made in the art of the monumental worker that to-<lay the peasant as well as the peer can afford to erect a tombstone over the bones of his dead, and it provides him with mute comfort to know that while he pines "for the touch of the vanished hand and the sound of the voice that is still," he can have written in stone words that will outlive himself.

The beautiful cemetery of New Plymouth presents many examples of the work of Mr W. F. Brooking-, monumental mason. His is the -only monumental business between Wanganui and Auckland and hence his name can be seen on tombstones in nearly all the cemeteries of Taranaki. His works were established in 1884 by the late Mr J. Bell who carried them on until his death in 1891. in 1896 Mr Brooking, who had been and is still engaged as a builder and an undertaker, took them over from the executors, and has since managed to greatly increase their scope. His workshops and yards are situated at the corner of Brougham and Powderham-streetD and occupy about a quarter of an acre of ground. In the yards are excellent samples of tombstones and marbles, which are of a standard superior to what one would expect to see in a country town. Mr Brooking imports marbles and granites direct from Italy and Scotland, blue stone from Melbourne, free stone from Sydney, and stone from Mount Sunmers and Oamaru. They are received in the rough and are worked up to any design desired by the client. Expert men of a good experience are engaged in this work and judging from the examples in the yards or in local cemeteries they are as capable as any in the colony. In this regard the marble monument erected four years ngo in the New Plymouth cemetery to tho memory of Inspector Thomson may be taken as an example. The main portion of Mr Brooking's orders come from the country between Urenui and Hawera, and the business has so expanded during the last few years that the proprietor demonstrates his ability to compete more than successfully both in quality of work and liberality of price with the large monumental workers of Auckland and Wellington. In addition to tombstones, monuments, monoliths, crosses, church tablets, etc., MiBrooking supplies tomb railings and curbings and is. also the principal undertaker in New Plymouth. The two branches work together very conveniently for the public, and tbis fact is partly' answerable for the considerable connection which Mr Biwoking has obtained.

Apart from his business Mr Brooking is well known in local civic affairs. He is a member of the Borouerh Council and as Chairman of the Works Committee performs a deal of work important to the town. He evinces a zealous interest in local affairs and his sound judgment .is much respected.