Since 2018 Stone of Arc has been working in partnership with the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA UK) to enable the delivery of the Craft Certification Scheme in Australia, setting standards by offering an accredited range of practical tests for trade professionals and aspiring dry stone wallers.

Combined with the delivery of the scheme is the need for instructors who are both competent in their craft and in their instructional training, therefore DSWA Level 2 or above must be attained before undertaking DSWA Instructor certification.

In 2024, Stone of Arc achieved the eligibility to deliver the DSWA UK Instructor course in Australia. Up to this point, the course had only been accessible once a year in the UK and US. It is hoped that the greatly improved access to this course, will assist in the retention, development and accessibility of the trade, both for hobbyists, professionals and aspiring professionals.

The main course syllabus will be delivered by Emma Knowles (Advanced waller and Instructor) and/or Geoff Duggan (Master Examiner) over two days 9am-4pm. Then to comply with DSWA requirements and complete the certificate, two practical follow up sessions will occur for each probationary instructor, overseen by the nearest available DSWA Instructor, or online.

Course provides:

This course has been adapted for the Australian context and developed to improve the number and capacity of qualified instructors in Australia, encourage the teaching of traditional dry stone principles and improve national training standards.

Prospective DSWA Instructors will work through learning and teaching styles, delivery techniques, training course standards and dry stone wall instruction. There will also be small practical assignments to complete following the course.

On successful completion of this certification, instructors will be able to access DSWA UK-approved training materials and conduct DSWA UK endorsed dry stone workshops to the level of certification they personally hold.