The stonemason is almost an extinct species. The dying trade is being replaced with machinery to do the work of once crafted hands.
However, one family in Cairns is keeping this tradition alive.
With two generations on board the Gori family combines the skills of Alfredo Gori who migrated from Italy with skills in making terazzo along with his daughters who took on the tradition and trained as stonemasons.
Working mostly on monumental headstones, the family have crafted tombstones all over Australia including the tropical Torres Strait.
Digging graves Dave Sharpe - the Operations Manager for Rookwood Cemetery - has been digging graves with the Rookwood Anglican Trust for six years. He tells us what he does and gives advice on how to go about pursuing a job in this field, which can call on a range of skills such as landscaping, excavating and horticulture - not merely a morbid streak!
