Behind the Seams: A social, cultural and economic history of clothing manufacturing in Victoria, Australia, c. 1945–1990

This research investigates the rise and fall of Victoria’s clothing manufacturing industry from 1945 to 1990. Globalisation, notably changing tariff policy, is frequently blamed for its decline. Taking a social, cultural and economic history approach, this research offers an alternative explanation. Painting a comprehensive picture of an industry affected by many moving parts, such as changing technologies, business structures, cultural and demographic shifts, labour shortages, rampant consumerism and emerging global models of production, this thesis argues that all these factors in combination contributed to the demise of garment making in Victoria.