The Les Darcy Vault in Maitland I

We're all quite excited and honoured to have been chosen to do the stonework restoration component of a large project by Maitland City Council and the local community.

It's going to be an interesting challenge for me– and for us as a team....  Personally, my firm philosophical commitment to Conservation means that I try to avoid Restoration work:  I'm almost always trying to retain and protect historic fabric...  not replicate it.  I may also struggle with working to other peoples specifications:  I am used to being in control of the work that I do...  and setting my own specifications...  with the flexibility to respond to unforeseen problems with the fabric.

As a team, the project will require long drives  overnight trips, and a larger workforce than we usually take for off-site work...  especially as the apprentices seem very keen to take part...  their parents & grandparents remembering Les Darcy!


The gravestone of the legendary boxer is a vault which has been suffering water problems and subsidence over the past decades...  and which had a massive and unsympathetic renovation in the 1960s where the beautiful historic kerbset was removed and replaced with a monstrous mass of concrete.  Our job will be to prepare and install standstone kerbing to match the lost historic design:  check out the Maitland City Council job specifications which includes a great history.