Leslie BoucherPrint Page

The gardens commemorates Leslie Boucher who from 1947 to 1964 transformed the old quarry areas into a garden. The gardens, also known as Pleasant Hill, are at the site of the former Fletcher Jones factory. 

After the opening of the Pleasant Hill Warrnambool factory in 1948, work began the following year on creating a garden. The site was considered an eyesore but a friend of Fletcher Jones, Ted Baker, christened the site Pleasant Hill and the name stuck.  Leslie (Darby) Boucher, Fletcher Jones brother-in-law, created the gardens with artistic help from local architect Tag Walter.   

First the quarry holes were blasted!  Then “hundreds of loads of beach sand were dumped into and over the old cars and tanks in this rubbishy dump.  Fire brigade hoses squirted the sand down out of sight again and again and a light roller finally consolidated the lot.  …Four inches of heavy clay from Brierly quarry were then spread over the sand and lo and behold we looked civilised!”

Additional land was purchased and the gardens were extended to the west in 1951.  

Location

Address:	Raglan Parade & Flaxman Street, Fletcher Jones Gardens , Warrnambool, 3280
State:	VIC
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -38.386893 Long: 142.498135 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Garden
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Community
Approx. Event Start Date:	1947
Approx. Event End Date:	1964

Dedication

Source: MA