Mr Diakovasilis was presented with his Fellowship by Public Works Advisory Executive Director Drew Varnum and NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin at a ceremony at Sydney’s historic Mint Building on 8 March 2021.
“George was pivotal in establishing the State Government’s stone yard in Public Works, re-establishing a stonemasonry course and sourcing replacement stone, all resources which provided the foundations for the Minister’s Stonework Program,” Mr Varnum said.
In accepting the fifth ever Fellowship, Mr Diakovasilis said he wanted to understand more about the ethics around extracting and using stone.
“Stone is a finite resource and stonemasons need a greater grasp on what we do, we are pulling resources from Country that we don’t own, and we just take it and use it,” Mr Diakovasilis said.
“I want to have a deeper understanding of First Nations people and each Country I am on, and how I can execute my craft with appropriate respect.”
Prior to COVID-19 the George Proudman Fellowship provided opportunities for talented stonemasons to travel overseas to gain experience, and in 2021 Mr Diakovasilis will travel throughout Australia and consult online with international experts.
The Fellowship was established to honour the legacy of the late George Proudman, who up until his death in 2000 was a passionate educator and advocate for the stonework conservation of culturally significant public buildings.
As Master Mason of the NSW Department of Public Works in the 1970s and 1980s, George was instrumental in revitalising and promoting the craft of stonemasonry in NSW.
“The Fellowship aims to support individuals to enhance their skills for the benefit of heritage stonemasonry in Australia,” Ms Galvin said.
The Fellowship is unique to Australia and is a key factor in of maintaining a specialist team of skilled heritage stonemasons and architects that care for the State’s heritage stonework buildings, structures and monuments.