Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before the House adjourns today, I'd like to take this time to speak about a company that has withstood the test of time through many peaks and troughs. Their resilience is a testament to the premium that Australians place on supporting Australian companies, especially those using Australian raw materials and turning them into items of exceptional quality and craftsmanship right here on our doorstep. This is a brand that I'm proud to say forms part of the very broad and diverse manufacturing industry family within the northern suburbs of Adelaide within my electorate of Spence. This is a business that is certainly iconic within the great state of South Australia. It is a company that has a lasting impact on our national identity and our soul—or our 'sole'—as a nation.

The manner of spelling that word may be a bit ambiguous for those transcribing our speeches into Hansard, but this ambiguity is for a very good reason. I'm sure that it is no shock to anyone to discover that I have, of course, been referring to RM Williams. RM Williams is, of course, known for their signature boots. They've been worn by people across this great land and throughout the world, and I've observed many a pair frequenting this chamber throughout the day. Last year marked the 90th birthday of RM Williams, and, at such a milestone, it is even more momentous that this company is back to being not just Australian made but also Australian owned, and proudly so.

As a bit of a history lesson, over 90 years ago, this company was founded by its namesake, Reginald Murray Williams, in 1932 during the Great Depression. RM learned to ply his trade up in the north of South Australia in the Flinders Ranges which is located in the modern day division of Grey. Fate caused Reginald's path to cross with that of an Indigenous man, a stockman by the name of Michael George Smith, who has been more often known simply as 'Dollar Mick'. Dollar Mick has been credited, mainly by RM himself, with being a vital part of everything that eventuated from the brand since their first chance encounter because Dollar Mick was a skilled leather worker, and, through their time together, Mick shared his knowledge of the trade with RM and created and sold boots—a variant of the Chelsea boot—along with leather saddles. After learning and mastering his craft, RM set up shop in 1934 in a manner not too dissimilar to modern day start-ups: out of a shed belonging to his father. This shed was located in Percy Street, Prospect, which is a stone's throw away from the Adelaide CBD. In fact, even to this day, you can visit Percy Street and leave with a pair of their boots.

Admittedly, it is probably the proud local member in me talking right now, but, to me, one of the best parts is that thousand of their boots are handcrafted in Salisbury, South Australia, at a location roughly a five-minute drive from my electorate office. RM Williams have operated out of that factory since the late 1960s, creating many local jobs over the years. Manufacturing is, at its heart, the lifeblood that helped build the northern suburbs of Adelaide and its people helped build products for many iconic Australian brands such as Holdens, which, sadly, closed its doors in 2017. In the years since, the north has generated new industries such as advanced defence manufacturing, yet RM Williams on Frost Road has endured. Enduring is a good descriptor of RM Williams as the company has seen its fair share of upheaval, from facing financial oblivion in the early nineties to being sold to French fashion giants Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton, until it was finally brought back into Australian hands by Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's investment firm Tattarang in late 2020. As the company now goes through its 91st year of operation, its boots are worn by people from all walks of life, from farmers to a number of prime ministers. Whether your days involve working hard on the land or the hard work of governing, you know you can get a pair of boots that will last.

It is my hope that Australians who are fortunate to invest in a pair of Craftsman boots continue to do so to keep the tradition alive, to keep Australian manufacturing jobs and to put boots made by Australian hands on Australian feet and on feet throughout the world.

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