The forest-green painted wooden bench is about 5 foot wide, and made up of multiple narrow slats of timber, with a pronounced curving shape at the top of the backrest, and front of the seat. The seat part of the bench has a lot of chips off the paint, showing the undercoat. The two outer supporting metal straps are welded to metal posts, that are set into the concrete footpath/promenade, while the central strap provides extra strength and support. The slat that the cast bronze plaques are inset into is about twice the width of the other slats. Each plaque has a textured black background, and is held in place with two brass Philips-head, counter-sunk screws. The central one reads:
WILLHELM GUSTAF KOPSEN I
Sailed from Stockholm Sweden
to Australia in the early 1800's
Passed early 1900's
The plaque to the left of the centre of the bench is for the one of the sons, and reads:
KYLE SOLANDER KOPSEN II
A very proud Australian
CEO of the Oldest Ships Chandelry
Marine Outlets (Est 1878)
Passed early 1900's
The following is transcribed from the Obituary for Mr William Kopsen, from the Sydney Morning Herald of Monday, 18 August, 1930
Obituary
Mr. William Kopsen.
"Mr William Kopsen, late governing director of W. Kopsen and Co. Ltd., died at his residence, Waxholm, Everton Road, Strathfield, on Friday night, after a long illness. The remains were cremated on Saturday afternoon.
[Photo of Mr Kopsen]
"Mr Kopsen, whose age was 82 years, was born and educated in Stockholm. He occupied a prominent position in the business world of Sydney and took a leading part in the affairs of the Swedish community. He was associated with the late Count Morner, in erecting the monument at Kurnell to Dr Solander, the Swedish botanist who landed with Captain Cook in 1770. Mr Kopsen was elected a member of the Swedish Society of Anthropology and Geography in 1880, and was appointed Swedish Vice-Consul in 1923, a position which he resigned some time ago owing to ill-health. He was acting Consul-General during the absence in Sweden of the Consul-General, and also for many years the senior vice-president of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, in which he took a keen interest since its inception in 1911.
"Mr Kopsen arrived in Sydney in 1868, and shortly after departed for Fiji, where after spending some time in cotton-growing, he joined Mr J. C. Smith and founded the firm of W. Kopsen and Co in Levuka (later transferred to Suva). During his residence in Fiji he acted as first Swedish Consul and served as an alderman and Mayor of Suva during the period 1883-5. He returned to Sydney in 1889 and carried on business under the name of Smith and Kopsen until the death of Mr J. C. Smith in 1904, when he established the present firm of W. Kopsen and Co., Ltd. Interested also in the utilisation of Australian timber for manufacturing purposes, Mr Kopsen established a factory and mills which have since become of considerable importance among Australian manufacturing enterprises.
"Mr Kopsen is survived by Mrs Kopsen and five children, one of whom - Mr Kyle Kopsen - succeeded his father as head of the firm when the latter resigned some years ago."
[ex-SMH in Trove website: 18 August, 1930]
There is quite a similar record, which would be easier to read in his biography: Kopsen, William (1847-1930). It mentions that while he came from Lutheran heritage, that he joined the Congregational church.
Nothing specific found online about Kyle Solander Kopsen, apart from being the father of a student at the North Sydney SCEGS - William Kyle Kopsen, born 28/8/1939 - ex-Torchbearer, 1957, p101.
Address: Balmoral Reserve, Edwards Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
Visited: 2030-1, Wednesday, 26 December, 2018