Historical information

Kathryn Knitwear, founded by Robert Blake, manufactured high quality children’s knitwear in Melbourne from the 1940s – 1980s. Robert Blake began manufacturing children’s knitwear in his bedroom in Strathmore using a hand powered machine in the late 1940s. The operation moved to Ascot Vale and Essendon, before eventually establishing a factory in Moonee Ponds in the early 1950s. The business continued to expand, necessitating a move to a new factory in Broadmeadows. By 1962, the Broadmeadows factory was producing an average of 20,000 garments per month, which increased to 24,000 by 1964.
Robert Blake’s Son, Brendan recalls that “The Kathryn brand was famous around Australia, anywhere children needed to keep warm and dress smartly. It also won a number of wool fashion awards”, including the 1969 Wool Awards, which was held by the Australian Wool Bureau and published in Women’s Weekly.

The Kathryn range was designed for durability, comfort and care, without sacrificing style. They used patterning techniques that increase stretchiness, comfort and fit, as well as integrating decorative elements into the fabric to prevent them from being bulky, uncomfortable or tight. Making longevity of style a priority, Brendan Blake remembers that “there was one particular garment that was in the range for at least thirty years”.
He also recalls “In the past, when women have found out that I was associated with Kathryn Knitwear, they would often relate to me the story of a garment they had purchased or received as a gift and, when their child had grown out of it, they would hand it on to another child. Several ladies have told me of purchasing garments for their daughters’ glory box, or saving a particular garment after their daughter had grown out of it.

Brendan Blake: “At the peak of their operation they employed approximately two hundred people, mainly women and girls. A family would often seek to send their daughter to work in this company because they knew they would be looked after and safe.
One lady wrote to me telling me that working at the Moonee Ponds Factory prior to getting married was the happiest time of her life.”

In 1963, workers at the Kathryn factory earned £13 per week, which was 8 shillings and 8 pence higher than the minimum weekly wage for female workers in the textile manufacturing industry (£12 11s 4d).
By 1970, the Kathryn Knitwear brand expanded from children’s knitwear into womenswear under the brand name ‘Lady Kathryn’, and for boys and men under ‘Robert Blake’. Continuing to diversify their distribution, they also began exporting ‘Kathryn’ garments to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Japan.

‘Kathryn Knitwear’ was well-known for their early adoption of modern materials and techniques that had broad appeal to their customer base. This is shown in their early use of the acrylic fibre ‘Orlon’ in the 50s and 60s and ‘Superwash’ wool in the 1970s. Many of Kathryn Knitwear’s styles, particularly those that were long running staples of the brand, were available in both wool and Orlon to suit the consumer’s preference.

Far from the humble origins of one man in his bedroom with a hand-cranked machine; at its closure in 1980, the Broadmeadows factory of ‘Kathryn’ housed more than 100 machines, including 53 sewing machines and 45 knitting machines. Robert Blake was “a passionate advocate for wool and Australian Made” throughout his whole life. A strong thread that ties through the lifespan of Robert Blake and Kathryn Knitwear is a balance between adopting new innovations without sacrificing the core values of durability, comfort, care and style that had made the brand so well known. Their legacy forms an integral part of both Australian social and manufacturing history.

Physical description

Letter from Myer (Melbourne) Limited to William Blake. The letter confirms and details of a meeting held to discuss business arrangements between Kathryn Knitwear and Myer. Due to the lack of signatory, it is likely there was originally additional pages that have been lost.
It is typewritten in blue ink on white paper, with smudges and pen marks evident.

Inscriptions & markings

MYER (MELBOURNE) LIMITED.
314-336 Bourke Street, Melbourne C.1. 66 111

July 10, 1967

Mr. William Blake
Kathryn Knitwear.
P.O. Box 49.
BROADMEADOWS Vic.

Dear Mr. Blake.
This is to confirm and itemize details of the discussion held in my office on Monday, July 10, at which time the following points were discussed: -
1. Action to be taken on:-
(a) Regular Kathryn range.
(b) Special lines to be developed under the
Kathryn label confined to Myers stores.
These to fit into the regular Kathryn
price fields.
(c) Special price lines to be developed
exclusively for Myers stores, also that
for these price lines the regular Kathryn
quality to be maintained.

With regard to Items A and B of the above, it was decided
that purchases were to be taken out by departments on
regular Kathryn merchandise for the financial year August 1,
1966 to July 31, 1967, and targets were to be set for each
department for the same period for 1967-1968.

2. Specific items were to be nominated that are to be made
under Item 1(b), eg: angoras, knits, dresses, etc.
these items to be quickly collated by Mr C. Rivers.