These trousers have been made by Fletcher Jones and Staff. This business was established by David Fletcher Jones (1895-1977) in 1924 when he leased three shops in Liebig Street, Warrnambool. In 1928 he moved his business to the main retailing area near the Liebig Street/Koroit Street intersection. In 1931 a shop built to Fletcher Jones’ requirements was erected and by 1938 he had a staff of 40. By 1945 FJ trousers were sold in 123 stores in Victoria and in 1948 the Fletcher Jones factory was established in Flaxman Street Warrnambool, officially named Pleasant Hill. In 1951 the company became Fletcher Jones and Staff and by the mid 1970s the staff had 75% ownership. By this time FJ and Staff had become one of the largest clothing manufacturers in Australia with 55 shops and almost 3000 employees. The range of clothing was enlarged to include both men’s and women’s wear. In the 1980s, after the death of Fletcher Jones, the abolition of import tariffs and the availability of cheap imported clothing caused the Fletcher Jones Company to decline and to be sold to a Geelong company. By 2011 all Fletcher Jones shops had closed. These trousers are of great interest as they are a product of a Warrnambool business that was nationally and internationally known in the 20th century for its quality men’s wear, especially the Coverdine brand trousers. The Fletcher Jones business remains one of the most important businesses, (if not the most important), that ever existed in Warrnambool. It employed a great number of local people in the second half of the 20th century, and is remembered with great fondness by many people in the city and surrounds today. The Fletcher Jones Gardens at the Factory site are still maintained today and are a tourist attraction in the city. These are a pair of brown Fletcher Jones trousers made of Coverdine material (87.5% wool with nylon). There is some lining around the waist area and the legs are turned up at the end with some leather binding inside the bottom legs. The waist band is stiffened and is fastened with a metal clip and two buttons. The waist band has two adjustable areas using tabs and two buttons each side. The back pockets also have buttons.fletcher jones and staff, coverdine fletcher jones trousers, history of warrnambool, david fletcher jones

The South Warrnambool Primary school No 1902 was opened in 1877 by the mayor at the time Cr J Cramond. The first teacher was Mrs Eliza Clarke. It catered for the children of the strong and closely knit community of South Warrnambool. The Mc Donald family was one of these families. A clear photograph of a school with which many past students would have fond memories. A contribution over 25 years to a primary school in this case by W D McDonald is a story of personal endeavour. It therefore has historical and social significance.Coloured photograph of the South Warrnambool State School framed with inscription written in black ink at bottom of coffee coloured mount.Presented to Mr W D McDonald by the residents of South Warrnambool as a token of appreciation for services rendered as a member of the School Committee (1912-1937) A Wilkins Photo. Stuart Mc Donald and Shirley written on back of frame mounting board.south warrnambool primary school, school number 1902, warrnambool history

non-fictionFor 25 years of his working life he worked as a Shire Engineer in West Gippsland and developed a reputation for competence and efficiency. Passionate about both trees and golf, he was a careful and measured man with an entrepreneurial spirit who worked behind the scenes He was seen by many as aloof and a hard man and by the very few who became close to him, as warm and fun loving and fond of children. Ross formed a business association with Wally Lawson in Warragul and together they embarked on a number of projects to advance the town and the district. As a young man, Ross had studied geology and working with quarries was familiar to him in his role as a Shire Engineer. In 1959 he established Bayview Quarries in partnership with Wally Lawson. When, in 1968, Bayview Quarries was taken over by Boral Ltd., Ross approached Tom Maw who had an operational quarry at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula. Ross and Maw became partners in what became Hillview Quarries. Ross also became the largest individual shareholder in Western Mining. Those shares formed the major part of the legacy he left to establish The R. E. Ross Trust and The Trust now operates on its income from assets acquired following the disposal of the Western Mining shares and from the earnings of Hilhnew Quarries. It is the only trust in Australia which owns a quarry as one of its investments.engineering, philanthropy, quarryman, investor, r.e. ross trust, hillview quarries, wally lawson, roy everard ross