THE sprawling factory is long closed, but the sturdy machines that sewed Fletcher Jones trousers for generations of Australians still whir in Warrnambool homes. Lorraine Pola has one. It's been serviced just once since she bought it in 1988.

The machines are the legacy of a company that once stood for quality and workmanship. After almost a century in business Fletcher Jones fell into administration last month, but in Warrnambool the legend of the brand and its namesake founder lives on.

Jack Caple, 93, worked for Fletcher Jones for 33 years. Now the factory is a shadow of its former self. Credit:Robin Sharrock

Ms Pola, a former Fletcher Jones employee, remembers the daily ritual of knocking off when more than 1000 workers spilled into the streets. ''If you had to do any shopping [you had to] get it done before Fletcher Jones closed,'' she says. ''The street would be flooded, particularly on pay day.''

She watched sadly as the famed Australian brand crumbled, with administrators closing a third of its 45 stores - even its last Warrnambool shop. A final offer for the sale of the company, which employed 3000 people across four factories in its heyday, is expected in coming weeks.