450 million year old stone will be used to tile the Prime Minister of Australia’s official residence. Burlington Stone in Cumbria will be making 17,100 tiles from Westmoreland green slate for the roof materials.
Burlington Stone’s marketing director Sally Finney said “we quarry all our stone from the quarries in the Lake District and offer 11 natural stones. All of those stones are processed here at Kirkby using craftsmen with a lot of experience.”
Burlington Stone was founded in 1843 by William Cavendish, the Second Earl of Burlington, later to become the 7th Duke of Devonshire, the company is still owned by the decedents of the Cavendish family.
Green Slate Roofing Tiles
The roofing tiles will be used on the roof of the Lodge in Canberra currently being occupied by the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The lodge was built in 1927 and became the prime ministers official home after first being considered to be a temporary residence until a new prime minister’s residence could be constructed.
The new roof project will cover the 40 room Georgian revival style mansion. The original architects were Percy A. Oakley and Stanley T. Parkes of Melbourne, the builder was J.G Taylor of Sydney. Stanley Bruce and his wife was the first prime minister that moved into the mansion shortly after completion in May 1927.
Other famous locations for the ancient Westmorland stone is on London’s Tower Bridge and St. Pancras station slate roofs.
