Robinson's History
Stone memorials have been made at the Robinson Memorials site on the corner of Maunu Rd and Central Ave for more than 100 years. Today, owners Teresa Devanney and Gary Taylor are proud to carry on a long standing tradition of excellent customer service and attention to fine craftsmanship.

In 1910, W Parkinson & Co first opened their doors to the public, selling stone memorials on the current Robinson Memorials site in central Whangarei. In 1914 the company changed hands, becoming Noton & Staples. Historical records from this time remain today including advertisements in the Northern Advocate during the Great War and a letter from Staple dated 1923 to an Italian stone company requesting prices for stone memorials. Noton & Staple remained on the site for some time until World War Two brought about changes. By 1941 all the employees had gone to war and the business closed for a time.

Robinson
Robinson
Robinson
LC Robinson joins the company

LC Robinson, Lewis Charles, or Lew as he was known by all, began working for Noton & Staple around 1927. After leaving school at 12 his first job was delivering telegrams before working in James St for D P North, the only other monumental mason in town. LC Robinson eventually came to work for Noton & Staple until he went away to war in 1941.

On his return, he bought the business from Noton, with a loan from the government under the Rehabilitation Act of 1941. These low interest loans for returned servicemen were designed to help with the purchase of a business, home, land or furniture. This loan amounted to 1200 British Pounds Stirling.

Robinson
Robinson
Robinson
Robinson and Son is formed

LC Robinson worked on his own to start with, using off duty firemen to do labouring when needed. As business picked up he employed plasterers and other tradesmen as required. Under LC Robinson, the company was a founding member of the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons Association. Peter Robinson started work for his father in 1966 and became a partner in the business in 1970, the name of the company changing from LC Robinson to LC Robinson & Son. In 1978 LC Robinson died at the age of 65, leaving Peter to carry on the business.

Peter continued to grow the business, purchasing several adjacent plots of land, moving the masonry business down a couple of doors to 8 Maunu Road and building a new warehouse on the site of the original display yard. In 1984 Beverley Martin also joined the business and has been the face of Robinson Memorials for many years. The same year, the company also moved from hand cut inscriptions to computer cut inscriptions.

In 1998 Peter changed the company from a sole proprietor to a Limited company and 17 years later, Teresa and Gary were proud to purchase the family business in 2015 to carry on the tradition established by Lew and Peter Robinson of using the best quality product available to create personalised memorials for families throughout Northland. They aim to use modern up-to-date technology to create new and innovative designs while still retaining the traditional skills of a monumental mason.