Sydney's heritage stonemasons bring 100-year-old sculptures back to life

In a painstaking process that requires precision and dedication, a team of skilled stonemasons is breathing new life into a 127-year-old sandstone lion's head that once adorned the Darlinghurst Police Station coat of arms.

Luke McDermott, a 17-year veteran of NSW Heritage Stoneworks, is meticulously carving a new lion's head to replace the eroded one, using a combination of old photos and archival images of sandstone lions from the turn of the 20th century. The goal is to create a replica that not only honors the original but also withstands the test of time for another century.

"The tricky stuff is redesigning a new lion's face," McDermott said. "Once the information is lost, it's quite hard."

McDermott's task is made more challenging by the fact that the original lion's face has been worn away by decades of erosion. To overcome this, he has designed the new lion, perched on a crown, using photos of both real lions and archival ones of sandstone lions from the turn of the 20th century.

"Then trying to get the crown and the lion together in a single carving can sometimes be a bit of a challenge," McDermott added.

The NSW Heritage Stoneworks team has been working on the 127-year-old coat of arms for six months. The coat of arms looks out to Taylor Square from the old Darlinghurst Police Station, which now houses the Qtopia museum.

This is not McDermott's first rodeo; in 2023, he completed a large unicorn's head for the coat of arms above the gates of the National Arts School. That project was particularly challenging because there was no reference image to work from, forcing him to rely on his creativity to complement the 1870s original.

"I started with nothing," Mr McDermott said. "The fact that I had done a pretty good job considering the information that I had available to me … I was very happy with the result."

NSW Heritage Stoneworks maintains over 800 state-owned heritage sites, including old school buildings, courthouses, and fire stations. Stonemasonry manager Peter Thurloe, who has been with Heritage since 1995, says some jobs are very large and geometric, while others require fine and artistic skills.

"Once we have attracted people into an apprenticeship, they stay because it's hugely satisfying," Mr Thurloe said. "It has kept me happy for 30 plus years."

NSW Minister for Public Spaces Paul Scully said apprenticeships like those at the Heritage Stoneworks are creating stable opportunities for prospective stonemasons. "Stonemasonry often doesn't come up in your list of your top five apprenticeships, but it is in demand," Mr Scully said.

"The Heritage Stoneworks team have a good connection with TAFE, making sure there are opportunities for apprenticeships. This is good long-term work, looking after some of the most magnificent buildings that New South Wales has to offer."