Bamstone's Michael Steel talks to Rotary Club

Michael delivered a very informative overview of the history and activities of Bamstone which is the premier supplier of quality, fine-grained bluestone in the country.

Bamstone was formed 40 years ago on Remembrance Day in November 1975.  In the early days they built special saws for cutting the quality bluestone that was acquired from quarries in Yambuk and surrounding regions.  At that stage they had the biggest stone cutting saw in the southern hemisphere.

 

Michael Steel joined Bamstone in 1987 and he jokes that “bluestone is now in his blood”!   The company, which employed 11 in 1987, now has a staff of 54 at its Port Fairy plant.  As part of this growth, Bamstone has set a path whereby it traditionally grows by ~100% each year and this growth is made possible by the many projects they have undertaken in Melbourne – Bourke St. Mall, Swanston Mall, Collins St and the Crown Casino.  Michael proudly believes that they have “paved the streets of Melbourne”!  Although the use of bluestone paving in cities is initially more expensive than, say asphalt, it lasts much longer and the ROI is much better in the long term for councils that take the bluestone paver option.  Work done prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, involving paving work in Martin Place, was a big project that was done on a very tight schedule but one they were proud to deliver.  And, of course, Bamstone have been instrumental in the recent work to pave Sackville Street in Port Fairy as part of the Streetscape project.

 

Other work undertaken by Bamstone involved fabricating water features, war memorials and shopping centre features -both here and overseas - with work in New Plymouth, New Zealand being a pet project of Michael’s.  Work on ANZAC projects, like that at the Shrine of Remembrance, the Weary Dunlop statue and various local war memorials characterise their commitment to the Anzac spirit.

 

Other overseas work involved projects in Beirut (Lebanon), Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA.  Michael could not overemphasise the challenges in delivering overseas projects where the task of packing and shipping stone, which can be seriously damaged if not packaged correctly, represent a major logistical exercise.

 

Their fine-grained bluestone is, primarily,still being quarried from Yambuk, although this supply is now running out.  Quality stone is also taken from around Mt Rouse near Penshurst.  They carve their pavers from solid granite and a yield of around 25% usable product is gleaned from each rock that they harvest.  However, the rest isn’t lost! By developing a program of diversification they now use 100% of the “waste” material in supplying crushed rock and cement to maximise the yield and boost financial return

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Michael was extremely proud of the awards that Bamstone has received in the Chelsea Flower Show in London, where they won a Silver Guild Medal, as well as consecutive “Best in Show” awards at the Melbourne International Flower Show.  This work in Melbourne was done in conjunction with landscaper, Mark Browning of Cycas Landscape Design, and designer, Lisa Ellis of Lisa Ellis Gardens. The flow-on effect of displaying at these prestigious exhibitions is beneficial in that the exposure keeps then at the forefront as the premier stone landscaping provider.  Additionally, the exposure also helps to create work but also generates exposure in renowned publications like House & Garden and a book featuring 100 Australian Gardens.

 

In thanking Michael for his insightful presentation, Rotarian, Kevin Matthews, highlighted the value of having such a large employer and successful business operating out of Port Fairy.