FJs Gardens

The ornamental gardens established for the FJ workers was commenced in 1949, and extended westwards in 1951. The manicured landscape consists of flowerbeds, lawn rockeries, pergolas, a sunken garden and pond, a number of sculptures, and several large floral baskets.

The fountain

While there are few photographs of the interior of the FJ factory, there is a plethora of photos of the gardens, and here are some of mine to add to the list.

The Rotunda

New owner Ian Ballis has used the site to lease to a number of tenants: the Warrnambool branch of Laser Strike - a combat simulation enterprise, who have set-up several rooms and levels of the old factory as a fantasy combat battlefield. Till February 2010 that is, when an asbestos scare joined a string of problems the Fletcher Jones building has encountered with the poisonous material.

And just comparing then and now (the black & white photo was taken from in the FJ Clearance Centre)

Nearby is the Fletcher Jones Clearance Centre, still selling suits, etc, and it has a quaint old-fashioned feel about it. It is here that there are a number of small displays and artefacts of the FJ story and a mural of the history of fashion and costume.
At the Flaxman Street end of the site are: the Triton Woodworkers Club operating on the ground floor, alongside the Opportunity Shop. Up the drive is the All Nations Church.
At the opposite end and covering two levels is the Mill Market a number of antique, secondhand and art/craft stalls operated by local people. I spent ages wandering around, checking out the arty stuff, nearly bought one of the fat little metal fish. I was fascinated by the number of LP records – the old stuff, but also covers I recognised from the 70s the final hurrah for vinyl. Again I was cursing throwing out or trashing old stuff that we owned, the classic, the kitsch, and the memories they conjure up I ended up buying two little teddies – cute as.

Unfortunately time has been unkind to the Fletcher Jones site. This lamp-post is systematic of the state of the site, old grandeur left to decay. I don’t have the answer or the money, but it is so sad and disappointing that nothing is being done to save it before it is too far gone.

Next post - the Machine room.