Ken White
In a loving search for information I pored over the boot when I got home until I realised that there was no proudly inserted tag saying “Made in Australia.” I delved deeper; way inside the boot to discover a Made in China tag.
Henry Lawson:
In, A word to Texas Jack:
An’ when they go, as like or not,
we find we’re taken in.
They’ve left behind no learnin’ —
but they’ve carried off our tin.
Such a scenario could be attributed to Blundstone Boots but hey, they’re Aussie Boots though unfortunately have been forced to announce they are to move their production overseas to places like Malaysia, Thailand or India. Globalisation and associated costs are the reasons we are told.
While this global juggernaut was bearing down on us the company, Blundstone, have been, for years, wringing every little bit of nationalistic fervour out of our hearts while their corporate fingers were squeezing the dollars out of our pockets by pushing this high production cost line. Our Government; our money were making up the difference
When the move to Asia was announced I felt sympathetic knowing though it was a fait accompli so like thousands of others I rushed in to a store to get what may be the last of it’s kind — a boot made in Australia; even if it was to cost that little bit more. It would be like buying the last Dry –as–a–bone rain coat or the last ever Vegemite Sandwich.
In a loving search for information I pored over the boot when I got home until I realised that there was no proudly inserted tag saying “Made in Australia.” I delved deeper; way inside the boot to discover a Made in China tag.
I then rushed to the shoe rack for a pair of Blundstones bought two years ago at the Taste of Tasmania and now, knowing where to look, there was another China tag.
Devious hey ? There’ no shortage of gullible dudes for, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute and they die at the rate of one a year.’
Meanwhile, Tim McLean in The Age
For every Blundstone or Ajax Fasteners closing its doors, there is another innovative Australian manufacturer expanding. So what about Blundstone? When an American friend asked me for a pair of Blundstones, he did so to own an Australian icon. He would have been disappointed if “Made in China” was stamped inside. I also suspect many of those manufacturing workers who wear Blundstone safety boots around Australian factories will now insist their boss buys Australian-made boots. Then I suspect Blundstone will now find to its detriment that “Made in Australia” has a marketing value.
