RW Stone Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

68 Camp Hill Drive, Somers VIC, 3927


The reserve has tennis courts (Somers Tennis Club), one public tennis court which is free to use, playground, toilets, bins and a sports oval.

The medium sized, dog leash free area is at the rear of the oval, a 200m walk from the car park.

On the northern side of the off leash area is an electric fence bordering a field of alpacas. The off leash area is very pleasant with areas of grass mixed in with areas of woodlands. There is a gravel walking path which goes around the off leash area. There is a bin beside the path in the south east corner of the area. Unfortunately we couldn't find a water tap in the reserve except in the toilets.

R. W,Stone Reserve (History)
Ron Stone who was born in 1897 came down with his family from Melbourne in 1908 in a horse and cart to take up residence in Balnarring. Ron was the second child to Ernest and Annie Stone. His parents ran the local general store for many years.

Ron had a colorful career. He served with the 39th Battalion Infantry in the First World War in France where he was wounded by an exploding shell and was discharged on medical grounds.

In 1921 Ron married Gertrude Berryman in the Methodist Church at Merricks North. Ron and Gertrude went on to have four children, Dorothy, Bob, Frank and Ray. Ron was a prominent footballer on the Mornington Peninsula, among the teams he played for were Balnarring, Flinders and Somerville. His first team was a Flinders Naval Construction Team when the now HMAS Cerberus was being constructed at Crib Point. He was keen on sport and had ability as a cricketer and tennis player. In addition he was a keen angler and shooter and built several boats.

Ron opened a hardware and produce business in Balnarring where the chemist and newsagents are located today. Ron and his brother-in-law were contracted to supply food for the railway workers and their horses. In 1927 Ron built the Somers General Store/Post Office, which back then was Balnarring East. During this time, Ron also worked as the local real estate agent for Knight and Harwood, which was the agent of the Balnarring subdivision at that time.

Information from: Ray Stone in All Our Somers by Bruce Bennett and Balnarring Byways and Memorial. Volume 4 Published by Balnarring and District Historical Society.