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Yarra Falls Spinning Co Pty Ltd

Description

Agent TypeOrganisationIdentifierUMA-AG-000000233 Last edited by: mbarrie@unimelb.edu.au

Activities & OccupationsManufacture, TextilesManufacturers, clothing and textilesHistoryYarra Falls Spinning Co Pty Ltd was founded between 1916-1917 by three UK textile manufacturers Sir Henry Whitehead, Mr Gates and Mr Hill. It was located at Johnston Street Abbotsford. Its main business at that time was spinning, using machines and skilled labour which had come out from imported Yorkshire. During the 1920s Yarra Falls expanded its business and built a weaving mill in Trenerry Street in 1928 and its administrative complex in a nearby building in Johnston Street. Yarra Falls acquired Globe Worsted in 1927, and later John Brown Industries in 1961 and several smaller businesses which formed the Yarra Falls group. During the 1940s Yarra Falls created the Bradford Yarra Falls Astral Silk (BYFAS) who were silk weavers and finishers who played a crucial role in producing silk for parachutes used during WWII. The BYFAS finishing plant was later sold to Gibbs Burge. In the 1960s polyester and synthetic fabrics and easy casualwear were becoming increasingly popular, particularly Crimplene which was a market hit. In response Yarra Falls increased its production and range of polyester and synthetic fabrics; and in 1967 it purchased the Daylesford Centenary Mills to cater to public demand. At that time they started to distribute their pattern books through various retail outlets and were a common feature in most design and tailoring workshops.

During the 1970s to 1980s Yarra Falls started to sell off its businesses, purchase pre scoured wool tops and it outsourced its fabric dyeing and finishing operation to Gibbs Burge. Fragmentation of process, outsourcing and automation became common methods used by textile and manufacturing companies to keep capital costs down and remain competitive. Yarra Falls in later years focused on spinning and manufacturing designs for labels such as John Brown, Stafford Ellison Sportscraft and Dobsons in a bid to remain competitive. Throughout its existence it remained well connected and well known in the textile and retail industry both in Australia and overseas, attending many of the industry fairs, machinery trade fairs, winning several International Wool Secretariat Golden Threads awards, they were strong supporters of the Australian Wool Innovation Woolmark logo and having a consistent presence at international design fairs

The Yarra Falls spinning business was purchased by Australian Country Spinners in 1998. In 2017 Australian Country Spinners were purchased by Bendigo Woollen Mills. Search records of this agent

Image

[Yarra Falls - Factory Exterior]

[Yarra Falls - Factory Interior]

[Yarra Falls Factory Building Exterior]

[Yarra Falls Factory Interior]

[Yarra Falls Interior - Spinning Machines]

[Yarra Falls interior - unspun wool and machines]

[Yarra Falls interior - mechanised looms]

[Yarra Falls factory site]

[Yarra Falls factory construction site]

[Yarra Falls factory installation of machinery as seen from above]

[Yarra Falls factory interior partially constructed]

[Yarra Falls factory site - partially constructed]

Item

Yarra Falls Limited 40th Annual Report & Balance Sheet, Year Ended 30th June, 1963

Fabric Swatch Book

Modern Developments in the Australian Wool Industry

Yarra Falls Ltd. Wool Textiles

Tops News and Views published by Yarra Falls Social Club Vol., 1 No. 9 Feb., 1948

Yarra Falls Limited Reports and Statements of Accounts Issue 30, June 1953

Yarra Falls Melbourne Australia marketing brochure

Yarra Falls Employees Superannuation Fund

[Yarra Falls photograph album - Abbotsford site during construction of the factory]

[Agreement] M.C. Seifert Esq with Ballarat Silk Mills Proprietary Limited

Byfas Proprietary Limited with Marshall Charles Siefert Managing Director's Agreement

[Agreement] Austral Silk and Cotton Mills Limited with Marshal Charles Seifert

[Agreement] Austral Silk and Cotton Mills Limited

[Marriage Option Policies Volume 2]

[Marriage Option Policies Volume 1]

[Employee Superannuation Fund Account]

Register of the Yarra Falls Employees Superannuation Fund

Colour Room Records 'Bible'

Yarra Falls Marl Shade Book

Valuation Report for Yarra Falls Limited of Abbotsford Properties Victoria Volume 2 Ballieu Allard Real Estate Pty Ltd

Valuation Report for Yarra Falls Limited of Abbotsford Properties Victoria Volume 1 Ballieu Allard Real Estate Pty Ltd

[Surveyor's book of drawings and notes of the Yarra Falls factory site]

Tops' News and Views published by Yarra Falls Social Club

Accession

[2014.0062] YARRA FALLS AND GLOBE WORSTED COMPANY RECORDS

[2014.0027] YARRA FALLS COLLECTION

[2022.0029] YARRA FALLS BUSINESS PAPERS

[2014.0063] YARRA FALLS WOOLLEN INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS AND SHADE CARD SAMPLE

[1978.0127] YARRA FALLS SPINNING COMPANY PTY. LTD.

Series

[UMA-SRE-20140064] Yarra Falls Sample Books

Dates

Date1916-1998

Names

Other NamesYarra Falls Spinning Company Pty Ltd

University of Melbourne Archives

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Yarra Falls Spinning Co Pty Ltd