Jason Souter stands among the stone walls of a house in Westbury, a place where his expertise as a licensed plumber and stone layer has left a lasting mark.
His passion for the trade is driven by creativity. “I think what I really enjoy about it is being creative, going into somebody’s property and coming up with a few good ideas. And then, from one to the other, you get the job done.” This blend of artistry and craftsmanship is evident in every wall and restoration project he undertakes.
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Among the many facets of stonework, Souter finds particular satisfaction in constructing retaining walls. “I think I probably prefer a nice retainer wall. Stone houses, there’s a lot of up and down work, and that can get a little bit stressful on the old body.” His preferred materials, dolerite and basalt, are abundant in the region. “Most of the stone around this way is dolerite and there is basalt on different properties. Basalt’s a heavier material, and they both lay out the same, they both look pretty presentable when they’re complete.”
Souter’s work stretches beyond Westbury to Launceston, where he partners with a larger construction company and undertakes council repair work. Restoration projects are a significant part of his portfolio. “I do a lot of restoration on the old properties. Old convict dwellings and what have you, or old houses from the early centuries, and I just come in and basically do what’s got to be done.”
His connection to the past runs deep. He often incorporates convict bricks, complete with thumbprints, into feature walls and fireplaces. “I’ve got a heap of convict bricks over there with the thumbprints in them, but I sometimes use those in a bit of a feature inside a house if I’m doing an internal fireplace or something like that.” The diversity of stonework techniques fascinates him, from mud course walls to dry stone work and V pointing, where “the mud joints are pulled to a point. All the way around the stone just highlights it a bit more.”
With a career spanning four decades, Souter has seen the evolution of his trade: “since I was 26 — 40 years!” While he once managed a team for major stone jobs in town, he now prefers working solo, occasionally bringing in a labourer for larger projects. Safety is paramount in his physically demanding work. “If you’ve got the right scaffolding and all the OH&S in place, it’s pretty good. It’s just a bit hard on the old back at times.”
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Word of mouth remains his most effective advertisement. “I suppose because I advertise, I get a lot of follow on work from people that get me to do stone jobs. I was in Western Australia for five years, and the day I got back here I got, ‘oh, you’re back’. Got a stone job for you.’ And it just went from there.” His projects range from substantial urban jobs to sprawling farm walls in the Midlands, some stretching up to 200 metres.
The stone he uses is sourced locally, often from paddocks where farmers are happy for him to clear it. “So most of the rock comes out of the paddock. Every stone I pick up is grass next season for the cattle or the sheep. So the farmers like that.” Souter carefully selects and shapes the stones using chisels and pitching tools, crafting each piece into the required form.
Jason Souter’s story is one of craftsmanship, community, and a deep respect for the land he works on.
