There's very little clothing and textile manufacturing left in Australia. It's wonderful to still see this iconic sign at the Koala factory in Arncliffe.Arncliffe used to be a mix of light manufacturing and working class housing - a working class inner suburb.
Now the factories have all but disappeared as the high rise housing development has encroached. In planning circles they are called "brown fields sites." Once upon a time, the manufacturing workforce could afford to live in these inner-ring suburbs, and their jobs were located nearby, or on public transport corridors.
How long before the small industrial site is swallowed up?
Hats off to the owners of the family business, Koala, for the following statement on their website. It's a really informative website, with a short video(click here) of their 82 year history, and a photo gallery of the whole process from designing to manufacturing (click here).
Statement by Koala:
Australian Manufacturing Is Our Future.
We have a single-minded purpose… to keep Australian manufacturing jobs in Australia. This is our primary goal and it’s at the heart of everything we do. We believe that as long as there is a loyal market of Australian customers who value locally-made high-quality products, Koala Clothing will continue to move from strength to strength. We’re proud of the past 80 years and we’re excited about the next 80 years and beyond!
That's the kind of responsible business that needs to be protected and nurtured. I like their sign design.
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