Albany Woollen Mills

The former Albany Woollen Mills was one of the most significant industrial sites ever established in regional Western Australia and operated under several names throughout its history, including Western Australian Worsted & Woollen Mills Ltd, Albany Woollen Mills and Albany Spinning Mills.

 

Plans for the mill emerged in 1920 as a way to locally process Western Australia's wool. It meant raw wool would no longer need to be sent interstate or overseas to be made into finished products before being imported back into the state. The idea was promoted in an article published in the Albany Advertiser on 25 September 1920, which identified Albany as an ideal location due to its cool climate, reliable water supply, proximity to wool-growing districts, railway connections and access to the port. As a result, Albany was ultimately chosen over Perth, Bunbury and Collie.

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Establishing the mills

Western Australian Worsted & Woollen Mills Ltd was established in August 1922 with investment from more than 2,000 shareholders. Local barrister and politician Samuel Johnson Haynes gifted 30 acres of land for the establishment of the mills.

 

The Albany Woollen Mills project was able to proceed after enough investment was secured. Around 90,000 shares had already been subscribed, and businessman L. Hinks agreed to purchase the remaining shares and invest £10,000, provided his company was awarded the contract to supply the mill's machinery. This allowed the company to officially issue its shares and move forward with the project.

 

Construction begins

Construction began in 1923 after Premier James Mitchell laid the foundation stone on 7 March that year. L. Hinks & Company were awarded the contract to build the mill, although it did not include levelling the site or constructing a powerhouse. The company ultimately selected a site adjacent to the railway line at the foot of Mount Melville, rejecting the gifted land as it was considered too far from town. The complex became one of the largest industrial buildings ever constructed in regional Western Australia.

 

The mill officially opened in February 1925 as Western Australia's first woollen mill, with £116,331 owed to shareholders. It helped create local jobs, diversify the state's economy and add value to one of Western Australia's most important agricultural industries. The factory produced woollen fabrics, blankets, tweeds, yarns and other textile products.

 

Struggles from the start

Despite its ambitious beginnings, the business struggled financially almost from the start. The location proved expensive to operate, the original factory layout was inefficient and the company faced difficulties competing with larger interstate manufacturers. During the Great Depression, around 100 workers were given notice in 1931 and the mill temporarily closed for several weeks before government intervention helped reopen it.

 

The business gradually recovered and by the mid-1930s, more than 120 people were employed. A fire in 1936 destroyed the original iron smokestack, which was later replaced with the brick chimney that became a recognisable feature of the site.

 

Continual growth

Following World War II, the mill entered one of its most successful periods. Population growth and increased demand for textile products led to investments in new equipment and improved production methods. For many Albany families, employment at the mill became a multi-generational occupation, with both men and women working there over several decades.

 

By the 1960s, Albany Woollen Mills had become an important part of Australia's textile industry. In 1963, it was one of only four Australian mills awarded a contract to manufacture 160,000 army blankets for the Australian military.

 

Company acquisition

The business again faced financial difficulties by 1970 and was acquired by businessman Robert Holmes à Court, marking the beginning of what would later become his corporate empire. Holmes à Court persuaded the State Government to waive a $500,000 loan guarantee in exchange for keeping the mill open, before restructuring the business and returning it to financial viability.

 

Some time later, he acquired Bell Brothers Holdings, which, along with the mill and his other business interests, became part of Bell Group Limited. Bell Group's investment arm, J. N. Taylor, sold the mill in 1988 after Bell had been taken over by Bond Corporation.

 

During the 1980s, the business moved away from producing traditional woollen textiles and focused on manufacturing specialised carpet yarns. It became known as Albany Spinning Mills and, at the time, had an annual turnover of $30 million, making it Australia's largest independent carpet yarn spinning mill.

 

Struggling to survive

Like many Australian manufacturers, the mill struggled to compete with cheaper imported products during the 1990s. The company entered administration in 1996 and various attempts were made to keep the business operating. Nobel Investments Pty Ltd acquired the site with the assistance of a $2.8 million interest-free government loan that could be converted into a grant if employment and performance targets were met, along with payroll tax concessions and funding for sewerage infrastructure.

 

Despite meeting a number of the required milestones, Albany Spinning Mills ceased operations in 2001 following a period of financial difficulties. Factors cited at the time included rising transport costs, increasing wool prices, the Asian economic crisis, the introduction of the GST, the collapse of HIH Insurance and competition from alternative flooring products.