New Finds

Beutron

Dual pricing: Feb 1966-Oct 1967.

These cards date from a narrow time period. Dual pricing, as above, was not required after October 1967, as the change over of currency had gone smoother than expected. There are cards like the “colour matched” example with decimal pricing only, ie. from late 1967. The 2 above cards may have been printed soon after, say 1968-70. From June 1970 the name Beutron was printed in block script rather than cursive.

Cotton by Bond’s Industries Ltd

I did not realise that Bond’s made sewing cotton, along with their well known clothing/underwear lines. During WW2 “large quantities of cotton yarn, sewing thread, underwear and hosiery had been made for defence requirements” (The Sun, 20th Oct 1943 page 7).

The Age (Melbourne), 21st October 1943 page 8.

In January 1930 a new company had been formed to purchase George A. Bond & Co. Ltd and Geeorge A. Bond Cotton Mills Ltd, both which were in liquidation from 1928, due, it was claimed to “wholesale dumping” of cheap imported goods and increasing debt.  However, as the company was well established and made a profit under the liquidators, the new company was formed to salvage the business. New tariffs were imposed in 1930 that were expected to increase profitability of Australian businesses.

At that time George Alan Bond himself was insolvent and owed the company money, which he could not, and did not, repay. Decades later, it was considered the business simply expanded too quickly and crashed as the Great Depression approached. I’m not sure he wasn’t a little bit of a crook, though …

The Bulletin, 11th September 1929 page 20.

The Sun (Sydney), 10th June 1950 page 5.

In 1970 Bond’s merged with Coats Paton to form Bonds Caots Paton Ltd. In 1987 it was taken over by Pacific Dunlop. In 2001 it was sold and a new entity formed, Pacific brands Holdings Pty Ltd with the spinning mill closed. In 2004 Pacific Brands Limited was listed as a public company. Manufacturing in Australia was ceased by September 2010. During 2016 Hanesbrands, an American owned multinational, acquired the company.

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