[1] August Walter Rietmann was born in Lustdorf, Bezirk Frauenfeld, Thurgau, Switzerland,[2] on 8 June 1877 to parents Walt and Karolina (née Gutterer) and was baptised a Lutheran.
[6] From the date of his arrival Rietmann was employed at monumental masons Corbens Ltd. at 634 Smith St., Clifton Hill, where after WW1 he carved up to twelve war memorials,[7] including those at Coleraine[8] and Bonnie Doon, and most likely those of Clunes (1920), Boort (1921), Inglewood and St Arnaud which have been credited to Corbens Ltd. as well as others still unknown, and it is speculated that his migration was invited or sponsored by them.
[10] During the 1920s August set up his own business producing pressed cement plant pots, columns, paving slabs and street lamp standards, some of which were installed in St Kilda Road, as well as headstones and figures.
He left Corbens and was contracted for his services by fine artists including Paul Mountford whose design for the memorial at Stonnington (Malvern) Town Hall Rietmann carved in 1930.
[16] Rietmann's sculpture was the subject of research by Frances Bader funded by Museums Australia Inc. (Victoria)'s Roving Curator Program grant in 2016 which resulted in a display at Box Cottage for the City of Moorabbin Historical Society; August Rietman 1877-1951: Monument Carver, WW1 Memorials, Artisan, Sculptor.