Ellis Stones was discovered by Edna Walling when she was working in the Donaldson garden. Walling wondered aloud who she could find to build a wall. Stones, who was working nearby, offered to help and was given a small section of stone wall to build. Walling was so impressed that she told him to throw away his carpentry tools and work with her.

Ellis Stones produced the stone work on many Walling designed gardens.

Ellis Stones:

was a trained carpenter. Stones enlisted at the outbreak of WW1 but was badly injured in the Anzac landing of 1915. He returned to Australia, permanently disabled in one leg.

was a photographer.

was an inventor who patented a sheep-drafting gate amongst other inventions.

worked at Bickleigh Vale doing rockwork and helping on the building of cottages.

was encouraged by Walling to change from his original occupation of builder/carpenter to garden landscaper.

worked on many gardens including: "Warrawee" Toorak, "Hillsborough" Balwyn, "Silver Birches" Balwyn, the "Marshall" garden Heidelberg, "Kildrummie", Holbrook - designing and working in stone and rock.

gardens are to be found in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand.

wrote for the "Australian Home Beautiful" for four years.

was the author of "Australian Garden Design", Macmillan, 1971, "The Ellis Stones Garden Book" published posthumously in 1976, and an unpublished manuscript: "Priority Landscaping".

The Ellis Stones collection, made up of over three hundred landscape design drawings and many photographs by Ellis Stones, is held by the La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria, and can be consulted by appointment with the Picture Collection. (Reference number LTAD 35.)

Further information:

Books about Ellis Stones:

Latreille, Anne: "The Natural Garden : Ellis Stones, His Life and Work", Viking O'Neil, Ringwood, Victoria, 1990.