Frank Rusconi (20 August 1874 – 21 May 1964) was, together with his brother, Joseph,

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

owner and monumental mason of

Gundagai, New South Wales Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town. Located along the Murrumbidgee River and Muniong, Honeys ...

, Australia. He was born at Araluen near

Braidwood, New South Wales Braidwood is a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council. It is located on the Kings Highway linking Canberra with Batemans Bay. It is approximately 200 kilometres south west of ...

, the son of a Swiss goldminer and monumental mason, Peter Rusconi and his Australian-born wife Mary (née McCarthy). Peter Rusconi was responsible for the stonework of the bridge over Majors Creek and the Anglican church in the mining village of the same name. After his mother's death, the family returned to Switzerland while Frank was a child. At age 15, he was apprenticed first in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and then Switzerland in the

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

trade. Rusconi returned to New South Wales in 1901. He worked with his brother and father near Orange, New South Wales in a marble quarry they had discovered and developed. He settled at Gundagai in 1905. He died nearly 60 years later in nearby Cootamundra having been an active member of the Gundagai community since settling there. Notable works are: *the Dog on the Tuckerbox – Rusconi made the base of the Dog on the Tuckerbox monument and the rest of the object was cast at 'Oliver's Foundry', Sydney. *the Marble Masterpiece, a miniature building constructed of 20,948 individual pieces of marble. Work commenced in 1910 and was completed 28 years later. The work is on display in the Gundagai tourist office. *tombstones are at Gundagai, Orange,

Cudal Cudal ( ) is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. Cudal is in the Cabonne Shire Council local government area, west of the state capital, Sydney. The town was first surveyed in 1867. Running through the town is "Bo ...

and Galong cemeteries; the largest and most dramatic is a pair of white marble monuments to the Ryan family at Galong, *two war memorials at Gundagai *the marble altar in

Tumut Tumut () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is located on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church Image:Galong Cemetery Rusconi Angel for child.jpg, A monument for a child at Galong Image:Gundagai cemetery Rusconi Angel.jpg, Monument at Gundagai Image:Gundagai cemetery Rusconi monument.jpg, Monument at Gundagai Image:GundagaiCenotaph.jpg, Cenotaph at Gundagai, designed and built by Rusconi Image:DogonTuckerbox.jpg, The Dog on the Tuckerbox Image:Gundagai Rusconi's Marble Masterpiece 001.jpg, Rusconi's "Marble masterpiece" Image:Gundagai Rusconi's Marble Masterpiece 006.jpg, Detail of masterpiece Image:Gundagai museum Rusconi's tools.jpg, Tools used by Rusconi to carve his masterpiece, now in Gundagai Historical Museum Image:Gundagai Rusconi's House 'Araluen'.jpg, Rusconi's house in Gundagai, 'Araluen' on Sheridan Street near the cenotaph Image:Gundagai cemetery Rusconi graves.jpg, Rusconi's own grave at Gundagai cemetery

References

External links

Panoramic close-up views of the Marble masterpiece
1874 births 1964 deaths 20th-century Australian sculptors Monumental masons Gundagai Australian people of Swiss descent {{Oceania-sculptor-stub