Melbourne Coppersmith
I’ve been making things out of copper and brass for well over 30 yrs, learning my craft with Cadburys in the UK, where copper vessels (conches) were (and still are) used in chocolate making. After coming to Australia in the 70’s, I started working evenings and weekends, turning out small items e.g. kettles, jugs, planters and pots, all manner of reproduction antique copper and brassware. I would supply a few shops, and trundle off to the Sunday markets, to ply my wares.
Gradually, orders would be placed for larger work, and I was able to give up my day job, move to premises, and start full-time work on things like; rangehoods, bay window canopies, copper cookware, and eventually more artistic and architectural work. I made a few large copper domes for the then Board of Works for installation in a public area on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, which today is Southbank. I have subsequently, made several of these for private dwellings.