In conversation with master stonemason Paul Gautron

“I started an apprenticeship with my father at the age of 15 with the family business in the beautiful Island of Jersey. On the island, stone was used to build Neolithic stone tombs, Elizabethan castles, Napoleonic forts, large stone manors and farm houses,” says Paul of his home in the Channel Islands between England and France. 

“One of the most important parts of the trade was learning how to fully restore some of these amazing buildings, as well as working on new contemporary projects.”

After completing the six-year apprenticeship, Paul spent four years studying restoration and dressing techniques to earn the title of Master Mason, before moving his family to Tauranga, in 2003. 

Hard work and dedication to the craft earned the family business a reputation for producing high quality masonry solutions, and A World of Stone has gone on to build a range of business relationships with both residential and corporate clients.

“Due to the high demand for quality work, our team of masons are carefully selected. To ensure continuity in our goal to provide the highest standard of workmanship, all employees are briefed in A World of Stone’s aims, practices and beliefs and it is this approach that has earned us the reputation we enjoy today,” says Paul. 

“Stone work isn’t just a job, it’s a passion, and I spend a lot of my free time carving and pushing the traditional boundaries in the use of stone.”

Paul now holds certifications across stone masonry, monumental masonry and stone management, but his proudest professional achievement is setting up the New Zealand Stone Masons Association (NZSMA) in 2012.  

“It was something that I had on my mind for quite some time,” says Paul. “I wanted to give something back to the trade and to raise the opportunity for masons to share skills and knowledge.”

Today, Paul is a committee member of the NZSMA, a role that has seen him work collaboratively with other professionals to develop the New Zealand Qualifications Authority level four and five qualifications for stonemasonry in conjunction with the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation and Cromwell Polytech, and deliver a best practice guide for the trade. 

“This year I’m doing a couple of stone masonry skills days where apprentices from all over New Zealand can hone or learn new and traditional skills,” adds Paul.

From crafting walls and arched windows to decorative cladding, family coats of arms, letter carving and restoration, Paul’s skills are vast and varied. However, it’s a project on the island of Jersey that Paul says is his favourite memory as it brought his family together. 

“In Jersey, my twin brother and I worked on an 1840 manor house and completely restored the front of the building and the farm house – which dated back to the 11th century in parts,” says Paul. “The client trusted our expertise and advice, and we were lucky enough to take my son over to Jersey to see some of the work we did. 

“It's great to be able to pass on skills that were taught to me by my own father, and this year it was lovely to go back to Jersey and see three living generations of stonemasons.”

The skills and tools used in stone masonry haven’t changed much over the centuries, and much of the knowledge surrounding the discipline is handed down from father to son, from mason to apprentice, a tradition Paul looks forward to sharing with his son and daughter, both of whom have spent summer school holidays helping out the family business.

“When Joshua left school he went into the New Zealand army as a combat field engineer for three and a half years, but has since decided to work for me at A World of Stone and he has a pretty good grasp on stonemasonry due to the work he’d done over his years of summer holidays,” says Paul, who would like to spend a little more time teaching the next generation of stonemasons traditional skills. 

“I'd like to see my son take over the family business over the next few years, knowing he not only has my support, but the support of his whole trade.”

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