Today, the industry has evolved from large-scale apparel production to highly specialised niche manufacturing and premium artisan yarns.
Only a small number of wool-processing and woollen textile mills now remain in operation.
Below is a selection of historical stories from the New Zealand Herald (1915), the Wanganui Chronicle (1915), and the Hawera & Normanby Star (1922).
Woollen mills busy
Large orders offering
Australian inquiry
Sydney firm’s needs
New Zealand Herald, March 18, 1915
A new demand upon the woollen manufacturing mills of the Dominion has been made by the offer of very large orders for knitted woollens by a Sydney firm.
As the New Zealand mills are already working at the full capacity of the available labour, it is unlikely that any of them will be able to accept orders from Australia.
Among the passengers by the Riverina from Sydney was Mr. Duncan, of Wellington, who, it is understood, represents Peapes, Ltd., a well-known firm of wholesale merchants.
Dr. Duncan interviewed the managing director of Onehunga Woollen Mills, Ltd., Mr. J. C. Burns, and the local representative of the Bruce Woollen Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Mr. F. H. Leonard.
He has now gone south to interview other woollen manufacturers.
Mr. Duncan explained that his firm requires a large quantity of woollen goods and is endeavouring to obtain from New Zealand 96,000 navy sweaters, 212,000 knitted underpants, 200,000 knitted shirts, 240,000 pairs of socks, and 1,112,000 yards of flannel.
He gave Mr. Leonard to understand that his principals had undertaken contracts to supply clothing to meet the requirements of the Australian military forces.
Mr. Duncan also stated that the Commonwealth authorities were prepared to accept goods containing 10 per cent of cotton, and it was suggested that the Government might be persuaded to remove the present prohibitive duty so that raw cotton might be imported.
The present activity in the woollen industry prohibits the undertaking of any outside orders.
Virtually only expert artisans, with many years’ training, are employed in woollen mills, and the shortage of labour has always definitely limited the output of the mills below the capacity of their mechanical equipment.
There are ten mills in the Dominion, and all of them have large orders from the New Zealand Defence Department to fill.
At present, difficulty is being experienced in meeting the demands for woollen goods for local requirements.
Even if the Government sanctioned such a drain on the output of the mills, it is considered unlikely that the mills would further restrict their regular customers for the benefit of outsiders, whether the latter’s requirements are for military purposes or not.
Wellington Woollen Co.
An abnormal year
(Per Press Association)
Wellington, Sept 6
Wanganui Chronicle, September 7, 1915
At the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company, the Chairman (Mr W. H. P. Barber) said that the company had had an abnormal year.
The larger profits were due to the demand for the company’s goods owing to the restriction of importations, and not to any inflation of prices.
The ordinary business offering could not be accepted in full owing to the preference given to urgent military requirements.
The operatives had been hard worked, as employees for a second shift could not be procured.
The existence of woollen mills in New Zealand had been justified by the work done in assisting to equip the troops.
A bonus of five per cent was granted to the employees in recognition of the year’s work, and a £500 bonus to the directors.
Wanganui woollen mills
Directors to proceed with erection
(By Telegraph—Press Association)
Wanganui, March 7
Hawera & Normanby Star, March 7, 1922
A meeting of the directors of the Wanganui Woollen Mills decided, as financial conditions are improving and stabilising, to proceed with the erection and equipping of a 30-loom mill.
Latest advice shows that the price of machinery at Home has been reduced, and the action of the directors in suspending operations till there was a fall in prices was amply justified.
– Source: Papers Past