Creating marks of respect

"It is a mark of respect, a place to reflect on memories," said Stacey Alcock, of Sapphire Monuments and Granite.

The Alcock family - Stacey, Noel and their sons Justin and Jamie - form a family company that can, at times, work up to seven days a week to ensure that their clients have the right memorial for their loved ones.

It is work that requires diverse skills, from being physically fit enough to cope with large blocks of granite or marble, the artistry to ensure that the dedication is seen to advantage to the people skills necessary to work with those who are bereaved - a state that comes to all, sooner or later.

The family has been operating as monumental masons since 1998, but Noel had already had extensive experience in bridge construction.

"At that time, there was only one firm of monumental masons in Bega," Stacey said.

"We put Noel's knowledge and expertise into practice and here we are today."

The family works from their property at Tantawanglo, pre-fabricating all work at home so that as little noise as possible disrupts the peace of the cemetery when monuments are set in place.

"Sometimes we are on call seven days a week, especially if a family is from outside the area and needs to meet with us often to work out what they want," Stacey said.

Computer software and the skills of son Jamie enable as many proof readings of the final dedication as are necessary.

Then it is on to Noel for the inscription to be blasted on to the monument. Finishing touches of gilding or painting are done by Stacey, with son Jamie working part-time.

"The inscription goes from the computer to the plotter, and the plotter cuts it out on stencil.

"We have possibly 3,000 fonts that people can choose from.

"Showing clients the proofs puts their mind at rest, they can see what the finished result will be and that the spelling and dates are correct.

"Sometimes people need a little help with the wording and we can change what they want to say before it actually goes onto the stone.

"The job does require tact - we are dealing with people who are bereaved, and are doing the best they can for their loved one at a difficult time in their life.

"As a family, we work well together," Stacey said.

"We have all got our specific tasks. We all get enjoyment out of doing something that is special to people's hearts and satisfaction from doing something that that is good for them."

The job is also physically demanding, dealing as it does with granite and marble. While a truck with a small crane ensures they are able to move most monuments into place relatively easily, a difficult-to-access cemetery might mean having to hire a larger crane.

Stones come from both within Australia and overseas, depending on what people want, and Stacey says that many of the most beautiful granites are imported from all over the world.

It may occasionally be years before a monument is set in place to mark a grave, but the average time is about 12 months.

Being available at all times of the day means that there is often little family time left - Stacey and Noel also have an eight-year-old daughter and an elder son - but they feel they probably have the best of both worlds in a family industry.

"At the end of the day, we see that people have peace of mind," Stacey said.

Sapphire Monuments occasionally completes work for people who are not yet dead, an option that means the families of these clients will not have to organise the memorial in the event of their death.

"Pre-monuments aren't for everyone," Stacey said, "but it is a reality - we are all going to die sooner or later, it is a fact of life."

Lately, they have been having requests for large granite bush rocks as memorials, into which the plaque is recessed.

Not all their work is for gravestones - the football field at Candelo sports a rock with a plaque set in it.

The family will also expand soon into granite kitchen, vanity and tabletops, as well as granite building and landscape products.

The company also will be supplying stack stone for walls, pavers, stone sculptures, rock features and granite blocks and treads, enabling Jamie to become a full-time employee.

As might be imagined, they all need to be fit to handle these assorted rock products but they also need to have an eye for the artistry that is required for them to be seen to advantage.

"We're very particular about our work," Stacey said. "We take the time that is needed to get it just right.

"A monument doesn't have to be big, or small.

"It's a mark of respect to say that this person walked on the earth."