Fletcher Jones established the gardens for his employees and they quickly became popular with workers as well as with locals for relaxing, having lunch, picnics, a place to take visitors and for bridal photos! By the mid 50s the gardens had become a tourist mecca with several busloads stopping daily for garden tours. They became famous as one of the most photographed and visited private gardens in the state.
The Save the Silver Ball and Fletcher’s Gardens Facebook page started in February 2014 and people posted stories and pictures of their memories of the Silver Ball and gardens “We always used to visit the Fletcher Jones gardens” was an oft-repeated refrain. The gardens were a must-see stop for visitors to Warrnambool.
