From an ancient volcano to modern architecture: discover the unique charm of Timaru Bluestone

Mount Horrible, the dormant volcano west of Timaru, gave birth to much of the surrounding landscape in its final eruption. Rivers of lava flowed down towards the coastline, cooling into long bluffs and ridges of basalt with a distinct veining and gorgeous blue-grey tone. This basalt deposit became an abundant source of bluestone — a dense, attractive stone particularly suited to construction due to its strength and exceptional durability. 

Though bluestone is quarried in Australia, Europe, and North America, this specific form of bluestone is native to Timaru and cannot be found anywhere else in New Zealand. Used throughout many of the South Island’s iconic historic buildings and urban landscape, Timaru bluestone’s exclusive existence in the landscape of this small community, coupled with its irresistible qualities, has endeared the stone to architects and designers throughout history — and continues to do so today.

A generational craft

Growing up in Timaru, Rene Kempf, founder and owner of Timaru Bluestone, was no stranger to stonemasonry.

“I worked as a stonemason for my father on the same premises that we operate out of today, and worked on the restoration of South Canterbury's historic buildings and bridges, which led to the foundation of Timaru Bluestone in 1995,” Rene explains.

Wanting to do justice to the material, Rene’s passion led him to find innovative ways to process the stone, developing new products and finishes that captured its beauty and durability. As the business grew, his wife, two sons, daughter, and son in law also joined the team.

“We are very much a family team who are passionate about the beauty and strength of this local stone. We want to deliver the best products for our clients; the fact that every member of the team is personally invested in the outcome of every project means our clients can trust that they are receiving the highest quality products produced with genuine care and attention to detail.”

Alongside Rene’s immediate family, the team also includes three staff with tenures of over two decades, respectively. This generational knowledge, devotion, and love for the craft have positioned Timaru Bluestone as a reliable producer of bluestone products, garnering attention from some of New Zealand’s most reputable architecture firms. 

New Zealand’s trusted bluestone suppliers

“We were privileged to supply 600 square metres of bluestone cladding, with a braided river design etched into the surface, for Christchurch Airport,” Rene says, adding that he personally laid the wall tiles for that project. “We were recently involved in a large streetscaping project in Dunedin, and we have another on the way for Parliament in Wellington.”  

​Although these large commercial and civic projects are milestones for the business, their high-end retail and residential clients are of equal importance, often providing the opportunity to create custom stone elements such as furniture or one-off pieces for international exhibitions.

​“We’ve been doing a lot of work with Fisher & Paykel, recently sending some cool pieces over to Milan for design shows they’re involved with.”

​The ability to take on these complex briefs is, in part, thanks to their specialised machinery. Because everything is done in-house, investing in quality machinery has allowed them to expand their product offering and achieve a high level of consistency and detail often not found in products from international suppliers.

“Our bread and butter is manufacturing lightweight cladding and pavers. Our purpose-built inline calibrating and polishing machine produces an exact, consistent thickness for every paver or cladding tile, which is crucial for both installation and finish. We can also deliver a variety of finishes on the surface of the stone, giving designers more options for their project.”

Their CNC router, saw, and CNC wire saw (currently under construction) allow for precise, detailed cuts — and, with the acquisition of the new wire saw, open up a wide range of possibilities for bespoke furniture.

“These machines have improved the quality of our products; we were always manufacturing to a high standard, but we’re now able to do things more efficiently, without the potential for human error.”

Timaru Bluestone’s lightweight cladding and pavers are a popular choice for high-end homes across the country, used both internally and externally to create building façades, patios, bathroom walls and floors, fireplaces, feature walls, and more. Celebrating the stone’s dark, brooding tones and subtle, organic veining, these applications evoke a sense of connection to the ruggedly beautiful landscape for which Aotearoa is famous.

With the growing popularity of biophilic design principles in modern architecture, it’s no surprise that design professionals are drawn to specify New Zealand’s native materials — if only to bring the unique magic of the natural world closer, as technology attempts to pull our attention away.

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Learn more about Timaru Bluestone.