There’s a small community of stone sculptors working across Australia, and while our numbers aren’t large, the work being produced is remarkable. I wanted to write about what it’s actually like to practise this craft here — the realities of sourcing stone, finding commissions, and keeping an ancient art form alive in a country where most people associate sculpture with bronze or steel.

The Australian Stone Sculpture Landscape

Australia doesn’t have the long tradition of stone carving that you find in Europe, China, or India. Our Indigenous communities have an extraordinary relationship with stone that stretches back tens of thousands of years — grinding grooves, rock art, and tool-making traditions that represent some of the oldest continuous stone-working cultures on earth. But European-style figurative stone sculpture in Australia is relatively young.

What we do have is excellent stone. Australian sandstone — particularly Sydney sandstone — has been used in buildings and monuments since colonial times. Victorian bluestone is another distinctive local material. And there are quality granites across the eastern states.

Today, stone sculptors in Australia tend to be a mix of formally trained artists (often with backgrounds in fine arts from institutions like VCA, UNSW Art & Design, or ANU School of Art), self-taught practitioners, and those who’ve trained overseas — as I did, studying in China before settling in Melbourne.

Studio Practice

A stone sculptor’s workshop looks different from what most people imagine. Yes, there are chisels and hammers. But there are also angle grinders, diamond saws, compressors powering pneumatic tools, and often a good deal of very heavy lifting equipment. A small crane or engine hoist is standard for anyone working with pieces over 50 kilograms.

My own studio in Melbourne’s west is essentially a large shed with a concrete floor, good ventilation, and heavy-duty power. The most important feature is dust extraction — silica dust from stone cutting is a serious occupational hazard, and proper extraction and filtration systems are non-negotiable.

A typical day might involve three or four hours of actual carving, interspersed with drawing, planning, sharpening tools, and the unglamorous business of running a small creative practice: answering emails, preparing quotes for commissions, and sourcing materials.

Sourcing Stone in Australia

Finding good sculpture stone in Australia requires some effort. For marble, most of us import. I source regularly from Italy and occasionally from China. The logistics of importing a half-tonne block of marble are not trivial — shipping costs, customs, and the simple challenge of getting it from the port to the studio.

For local stone, building relationships with quarry operators and stone masons is essential. Many of my best pieces have come from offcuts and remnants that a mason was about to discard. There’s beautiful stone hiding in masonry yards if you know what to look for.

Some sculptors in regional areas work with local stone they source themselves — river rock, fieldstone, or stone from small quarries. There’s something powerful about working with stone from the landscape where the finished piece will live.

The Economics of Stone Sculpture

Let’s be honest: making a living solely from stone sculpture in Australia is challenging. Most sculptors I know supplement their practice with teaching, architectural stonework, restoration, or other creative work.

Public art commissions are the most significant income source for many stone sculptors. Council and state government per cent for art schemes direct a portion of development budgets toward public art, and stone is a durable, low-maintenance material that appeals to commissioning bodies.

Private commissions — garden sculptures, memorial pieces, corporate installations — provide another revenue stream. The market for these is steady but not large.

Sculpture prizes and exhibitions round out the picture. Events like Sculpture by the Sea (Bondi and Cottesloe) have given Australian sculptors valuable exposure, though not all prize-winning work translates directly into sales.

Community and Connection

What sustains most stone sculptors is the community. Despite being spread across a large continent, we stay connected through symposiums, workshops, and increasingly through online networks. The National Stone Sculpture Symposium brings carvers together annually, and there are informal gatherings and studio visits throughout the year.

International connections matter too. Many Australian stone sculptors travel to symposiums in Europe, Asia, and North America, bringing back techniques, ideas, and friendships that enrich their practice. The exchange between traditions — European figurative carving, Chinese shidiao methods, Japanese stone garden aesthetics — creates something distinctive in Australian stone sculpture.

Looking Ahead

The future of stone sculpture in Australia feels cautiously optimistic. There’s a growing interest in handmade, material-rich art as a counterpoint to digital culture. Sustainability conversations are driving interest in natural, low-energy materials like stone (as opposed to bronze, which requires significant energy to cast).

Young sculptors are coming through, bringing fresh perspectives while respecting traditional techniques. The challenge is ensuring they have access to workshop space, materials, and the mentorship needed to develop what is a slow-learning craft.

If you’ve never visited a stone sculptor’s workshop, I’d encourage you to seek one out. Open studio events happen regularly in most capital cities. There’s something about watching raw stone transform under hand and tool that connects us to our deepest creative instincts — and to the material reality of the earth itself.