xv, 197 pages : illustrations, portraits, facsimiles ; 25 cm.non-fiction'My life in the ragtrade' is the story of the famous Australian brand names, many developed from humble beginnings yet made in clothing factories employing thousands of people, and the grand retail stores and clothing shops that stocked those brands. In 'My life in the ragtrade', author Fred Wilkinson takes us on a trip back in time to the days of Sidney Myer's beginnings in Bendigo, to Flinders Lane, Melbourne ('The Lane'), travelling salesmen and hawkers, and names and slogans which we've all but forgotten: Anthony Squires, Sutex, Keith Courtenay, Pelaco, Crestknit, Chesty Bond, Love Me in my Glo-Weave, Hard Yakka, He's so good he thinks he's King G, and more. Then there were the retailers - Winns, Farmer's, Anthony Hordern, Mark Foy and more. Shopping back then was an adventure, it was a pleasure to be served and customers were treated like royalty. There is a useful chronology of take-overs and closures of Australian department stores.clothing trade, fred wilkinson, clothing workers, ragtrade, sidney myer, sutex, keith courtenay clothing, flinders lane, robert reid & company, paterson laing & bruce, paterson reid & bruce, anthony squires, sax altman, myer emporium, ken fogarty, jon bentley's, maurie blackman, sidney sinclair, louis klein, don collier, stafford ellinson, levi strauss, levi jeans, amco, louis epstein, hiscocks saddlery, just jeans, jeans west, general pants, glo-weave, comfort shirt company, saul same, pelaco, pearson & law, james law, james pearson, david laidlaw, d k laidlaw & sons, yakka, chesty bond, george bond, bond industries, bob adcock, king gee, king gee clothing co, jack stahmer, d & w murray, commercial travellers, commercial travellers' association, james davies, fletcher jones

H.D. Lee (Aust) was established in 1973 as a joint venture between Yakka Pty Ltd and Vanity Fair. In 1973 it decided to move to Albury-Wodonga, encouraged by government decentralisation assistance, lower overheads and the central location of the region. H.D. Lee opened a temporary pilot factory with 12 staff in Kiewa Street, Albury, in January 1974 while a new 50,000 sq. ft. factory for 400 staff was built on council land in West Wodonga. This was erected by local builders Zauner Construction, completed in late 1974 and began operations in April 1975. The factory became Australia’s second largest jeans manufacturer and employment in Wodonga at times exceeded 400 staff. In 1991 Yakka, which already owned 50 per cent of the H.D. Lee shares, bought out the rest. It quickly moved to reduce staff and transferred the administration to Broadmeadows. By 1997, the workforce had fallen to 110, and production of Lee and Faberge jeans, jackets and shorts gave way mostly to industrial wear.These coasters represent an industry which was a major employer in Wodonga. The establishment of H. D. Lee (Aust) was a direct result of Australian government's policy of decentralisation in the 1970s. A blue box containing 6 coasters to commemorate 10 years of H.D. Lee operations in Australia. Coasters are gold and include the Lee company logo. The box also includes information regarding the background of the manufacturer, Paul-Stephen Daly.On top half of coaster "H.D. LEE (AUST) PTY LTD /10 YEARS/ 1973-1983" Between lines of stars "Lee the ultimate jean"h.d. lee, wodonga, decentralisation, paul-stephen daly