Beautiful stone was nature’s gift to South Australia, and an irresistible building material for early settlers. Many stone walls, without mortar or with no more than mud as glue, have defied gravity and the elements all these years. Or did gravity combine with deft balance to sustain them?
In Those Dry-stone Walls: Stories from South Australia’s stone age, author Bruce Munday takes us on a journey across the state, exploring the history of SA’s dry-stone walls, and giving an insight into rural life. Hot off the press, this book is not just for history and nature buffs – it contains a comprehensive chapter (‘So, you want to build a wall!’) on DIY dry-stone walling, for those who are keen to have a crack.
Click here for further information, and to order your own copy!
Below, author Bruce is hard at work on his own dry-stone wall (picture by Kristin Munday).
This is a great-looing book. I built a dry stone wall about 20 years ago, as a retaining wall, and is still standing up well. It was just moss rocks, and I didn’t know what I was doing, but it looks OK. Not as nice as Bruce’s ones, but it wasn’t difficult to do
Great picture
That looks really hard! But worth it. Check out the smug little furry onlooker!