Thread: Is anything made in Australia anymore?

Having of late started to pursue my interest of wood working I went to the Melbourne woodworking show. My interests were varied, I didn't have any set agenda other than to take in what was around these days.

I noted, especially with small hand tools and the like, that a lot seemed to be locally made. I also noted that while the quality of these local products was high, their price, whilst not cheap, wasn't excessive.

I actually came upon a product that I thought had much merit, was well thought out, and, was Australian made. I ended up purchasing two, one for myself and one for a friend in Germany.

I purchased a Multi Square, which was on the Wood Review magazine stand. It is made from solid brass and is CNC machined with a certified accuracy of ±0.05mm

I have had it one week and have found it to be well thought out, extremely accurate and it's price at the show, $40.00, to be a true reflection of what I think a product of this type would cost to manufacture, package and on sell, at a price that would return a realistic remuneration for the manufacturer/vendor in a small market (Australia).

On the way home from the show I was feeling chuffed that I had found a tool that I had a need for, but, had until now, been unable to find.

In the past month I have been servicing some of my grandfathers woodworking tools, which I inherited when he passed away in 1968. Some of the tools he had were extremely cheap, reflecting his monetary situation, but also, his idea that the required quality of a tool was in direct proportion to it's desired/required accuracy for it's intended job.

Mick.

I forgot about Roger Gifkin with his jig and other 'bits'.
Victa lawnmowers, Toyota Australia (true, they are made here but not all models).
Bluescope, formerly BHP steel, the Barnett (sp) Bunnie Knife, Akubra, Carbi Tool, Ozito (attempt at humour), Nomad aircraft, the big Sea Cat from Tassie, Varian Techtron photo spectrometers, and one to please all, the bloody speed camera's.
And don't knock Fosters, the Yanks love it and we get to keep the good stuff (SA Excluded with Southwark ).

I personally avoid buying anything made in Asia because while it may seem cheaper it is also usually junk which means you are hooked on the buy/throw away syndrome - which is costing our country dearly in terms of jobs and our planet in unnecessary pollution.

It is also sending Australian and overseas companies who are committed to quality to the wall.

In my opinion It's better to buy quality because these tools repay your investment in precision, pleasure of use, safety and reliability.

From my perspective one craftsmen built sander from say Festool is a better investment than 50 Bunnings "Yellow River" $50 "equivalents". We either want quality products or we don't. If we do want quality we must support companies who follow this philosophy and be prepared to pay a higher price.

I am in the market for a biscuit joiner and could buy a cheapie for $100 - that will last six months - but I won't. I will buy something decent like a Porter-Cable that will probably last a lifetime and deliver the precision that only quality tools can offer.

Hi -

I think it's easy to focus on Asia as the "problem" here - but certainly the Pacific Rim countries can produce high quality products as well - it's just that there isn't (yet) the market for them.... their own economies are developing rapidly, and the export markets are only interested in price (low).

Certainly, I'm all for supporting a domestic market - and we do the same up here, which is why we put American or Canadian flags beside products made in those countries.

Ultimately - it's the consumer that determines which products succeed and which fail. Economically speaking - every day is election day, and every dollar you spend is a vote...(vote, and vote often!)

Don't forget too, that your choices influence production in other ways.... demands for ever higher returns on stock or mutual funds by consumers of those products is what drives jobs overseas as well, as companies succumb to cost reduction pressures.

Just another perspective - but I certainly share the concern!

Cheers -

Rob

Thanks Rob for an unbiased view,however where the export dollars will go is to the niche market not offered by the local purveyors.

Often times thanks to the internet and with a search for that which you require the only responses is an of an off shore nature.

It behoves any local industry to do their homework to the needs of the resource clientele..failure to go with demand across the grid only ensures lack of input and interest therefore and at their own behest reduction of outside interest in the field.R&D must in all respect be given due consideration to a company wanting to retain an identity within the factors deemed necessaary for it's own continues existence to provide for the market.

It is a known fact that locals will provide a clientele base for a worthy product but should the production of that product fall by the wayside then the allegiance will quickly go with that than provide irrespective of the site.

Cheers

Is anything made in Australia anymore?

You kiddin me fellas? And on a wood forum?

The Lucas boys over in Wooragee, Victoria might take issue with y'all over that.

They patented one of the first and best swing-blade sawmills ever made....most of them sold over here in the states.

http://www.baileys-online.com/earlsFir.htm

http://www.lucasmill.com.au/

I probably wouldn't like a Yank telling me what I was good at, so it ya wanna get mad, that's OK.

At the risk of telling an old story one time too many, I think I was there for the beginning of the end of Australian industry.

My Dad had a company supplying tools and industrial merchandise here in South Australia. Some older South Aussies may remember Engineer Supplies (Dick's) Pty Ltd at Port Adelaide... the white building by the railway line with the Norton bear's head on the side. I worked for Dad through my school holidays and full time until about 1981... working for family never works... we kids are far too lazy... so I moved on. After a couple of other jobs I ended up working for the great Flintware / Flint Brothers in Adelaide. With both Engineer Supplies and Flint's the ethic was staff who knew what they were talking about supplying quality merchandise to the trade. In both companies everyone from the managing director down to the receptionist was a true professional, proud of our knowledge and our product, and the company we were an integral part of.

Anyway... back to the story...

Back in the 70's one of our customers was a major manufacturer of air-coolers. In SA we have dry summers so a lot of people used to have small evaporative air-coolers that you fill from a bucket and can move from room to room. The company made two models... the Mark 5 and the Mark 10... both made in Australia in a moderately large factory in the western suburbs. Then they stopped buying the usual stuff from us. All they were buying was packaging tape, Stanley knives, Stanley knife blades, double ended stub drills, rivet pliers and rivets. We didn't have a rep calling on them as they were a small customer who didn't need the hassle of a reugular call, but Dad decided to send me down there to see why we were missing out. The factory had been almost emptied, most of the equipment sold off, and replaced with a couple of long roller conveyors. They were importing Toshiba air-coolers, stripping off the cartons and plastic bags, unclipping the front panel and replacing it with a new panel with their brand and model name, drilling out the rivets on the little plate with the make and model and serial number and replacing it with a new one. At the time that constituted the required amount of Australian input (I think it was 24%, but I can't really remember). They then whacked it back into a new plastic bag, built the shipping carton around it, taped it up and put them on pallets ready for shipping. All they needed to buy from us was the knives, blades, tape, double ended stub drills, rivetters and rivets. The rest came pre moulded or precut or preprinted from other suppliers.

I went back to work and reported what I'd seen. We thought this was just one isolated instance.... how wrong could we have been?