Daniel Kilminster

Daniel has been working as a stonemason's assistant for 6 years, and is in his first year as an apprentice. Daniel specialises in heritage restoration and has worked on Newington College, St Peter's and St Paul's Cathedral in Goulburn and the Cathedral of St Michael's and St John's Bathurst.

Daniel won the Apprentice Award in the 2021 Stonemason Carving Competition. He won a set of JP carving chisels (valued at $300), provided by sailMade.

About the work

I entered this competition because I wanted to do more than bash rocks. I wanted to bash them carefully. 

This work is inspired by the gothic revival architectural details of the Cathedral of St Michael and St John, Bathurst. I have been working on the restoration of the cathedral for many years and have always been drawn to the intricate foliage carvings. This event has given me the opportunity to create a carving I have been aspiring to do for a long time.

The stone was roughed out to a dome using pneumatic hand tools and finished with hand chisels.