About
We are a family owned business with decades of experience in quarrying and manufacturing of Australian sandstone.
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Capricorn Sandstone Quarries prides itself on supplying the highest quality stone, being flexible and responsive to the market and customers, and investing in machinery and staff to ensure maximum output while maintaining very high standards of Health and Safety. This has resulted in the Company growing steadily and continuously while still keeping its streamlined structure. A policy of zero waste and product innovation ensures the Company will remain dynamic and responsive to national and international trends.
Real sandstone
It is said that sandstone at Stanwell was discovered by a Scotsman hunting kangaroos in the 1870’s. The quality of the sandstone compelled the Government to create a reserve and license out quarrying for 5 pounds. Many public buildings in Queensland that were built from Capricorn Sandstone Quarries stone still stand proudly today.
The quarry is above ground, a solid mountain of stone. It is part of the geological unit known as the Razorback Beds formed during the Jurassic age about 180 million years ago, and it’s the only one of its kind in the region. Stone from the quarry is exhibited as part of the Geoscience Australia time walk where 4.6 billion years of the earths geological history is on display in a 1km walk through time.
The material was laid down as a large deposit of sand in a freshwater environment, similar to the sand formations at the mouth of the Mississippi and Amazon rivers today. Over time these sands have solidified into solid rock. This is a very similar environment to that in which the Hawkesbury or Sydney Sandstone was formed.
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Australian made
The quarry reserve is one of the largest and oldest in Australia. It is also unique in that it offers a variety of distinct colours. The Stanwell reserve holds millions of cubic metres of dimension stone and is expected to be operating well into the next century.
The quarry extracts thousands of blocks each year to meet demand, and all material is processed within 1km of where its quarried, at the same location in Stanwell, Queensland, saving many tons of carbon emissions by not transporting unprocessed material away from the quarry.
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Honest & Ethical
Capricorn prides itself in supplying the highest quality stone, being flexible and responsive to the market and customers, and investing in machinery and staff to ensure maximum output while maintaining very high standards of health and safety. This has resulted in the company growing steadily and continuously, maintaining a culture of transparency and accountability. A policy of zero waste and product innovation ensures the company remains dynamic and responsive to national and international trends.
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Health & Safety
Modern, high production equipment is employed in the quarry and factory to ensure that stone is processed efficiently, and operator wellbeing is paramount. Quarry machinery is serviced on-site for minimum downtime, and all equipment is maintained to high standards for minimum noise, maximum comfort and dust levels well under acceptable limits.
The factory is fitted with modern, mostly European cutting and splitting machines, all of which comply with the highest standards of health and safety. High production saws can cut hundreds of cubic metres of stone each month, and dust is eliminated during the wet cutting processes. A range of specialised lifting and handling gear ensures that all stone is packed with minimal damage and operator effort.
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Environment and Recycling
Sustainability is important to Capricorn Sandstone and everything they do aims to maximise resources whilst looking after their staff and the environment. They recycle water – up to 10 million litres each year- and use pre-loved packaging materials, and they also recycle their stone, having invested heavily in new machinery to ensure that offcuts and waste stone can be re-purposed and turned into a variety of new products.
Despite the distance from the major markets of Sydney and Brisbane, Capricorn Sandstone Quarries only uses back-loads for their long distance transport, ensuring that no unnecessary carbon emissions are created in getting their beautiful stone to its destination.
They also take a keen interest in the local wallaby population, ensuring that rocky piles are located around the site where the creatures can seek protection, and proactively ensuring that wildlife is encouraged to leave the immediate area when quarrying is underway.
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awards
WINNER OF CAPRICORNIA BUSINESS AWARDS 2017 BEST NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL EXPORTER OF LOCAL PRODUCT AND SERVICES
This award recognises a business who has demonstrated success in exporting their goods or services on a national or international level, whilst simultaneously promoting the Capricorn Region.
2017 This award recognises a business who has demonstrated success in exporting their goods or services on a national or international level, whilst simultaneously promoting the Capricorn Region.
WINNER OF CAPRICORNIA BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 LOCAL PRODUCT EXCELLENCE
This award recognises a business who has demonstrated success in exporting their goods or services on a local level.
2016 This award recognises a business who has demonstrated success in exporting their goods or services on a local level.
WINNER OF TOM BURNS AWARD; REGIONAL EXPORTER OF THE YEAR FINALIST.
This award recognises excellence in exporting to China.
2010 This award recognises excellence in exporting to China.
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