A donation of Rs 20,000 by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh was used to erect this fountain. It was designed by R. Norman Shaw and it was sculpted by James Forsythe. It now wears a white coat of oil paint. The stone that was used to carve the fountain was imported from Portland. It was built in honour of Sir Bartle Frere, who was the Governor of Bombay at that time. The fountain stands exactly at the point where the original Church Gate of Bombay Fort stood during that time.

The square in which the fountain stands was official named as Hutatma Chowk (Martyr's Crossroad) in 1960. The area around Flora Fountain is the business center of Mumbai and is surrounded by offices, banks, colleges and shops. Flora Fountain is indeed a tourist attraction that one must see while in Mumbai. The residents of Mumbai use the term "Fountain" to refer to the area the fountain. The area around is the business center of Mumbai and is surrounded by offices, banks, colleges and shops.