by Geoff Crittenden
Australia had a long, proud history of manufacturing throughout the 20th century.
With the Federation of Australia in 1901, customs barriers were eliminated between the states so they could more easily trade with another. This prompted the first wave of manufacturing expansion, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales. By 1913, manufacturing employment totalled 328,000 workers and accounted for 13 per cent of GDP.
During World War I, the Australian gove…
