Pelaco was an Australian clothing manufacturer based in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
. Pelaco is best known for its men's shirts. The
Pelaco sign over its former factory in
Richmond is a
Heritage Victoria listed landmark.
Foundation
The Pelaco brand was founded in the 1910s by
James Kerr Pearson
James is a common English language surname and given name:
* James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambigua ...
(born 31 July 1881 in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
— died 2 October 1950 in Richmond, Victoria) and
James Lindsay Gordon Law
James is a common English language surname and given name:
* James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambigua ...
(born 21 January 1881 in
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
Within months of Vi ...
,
Victoria — died 18 February 1963,
Fitzroy, Victoria). The company name came from the first two letters of its owners' surnames.
Products
From its inception, Pelaco's main product has been men's
shirts.
Industrial relations
The Pelaco company under Lindsay Law has been described as innovative in its approach to industrial relations.
Saturday morning work was discontinued in its predecessor business in 1908.
The company management appointed an
"industrial relations officer" to mediate with employees in 1928.
Pelaco was one of the first companies in Australia to employ an
industrial psychologist.
Lindsay Law came into conflict with unions and arbitration courts over the issues of
piecework wages and
child labour.
Business head office and factories
In 1922, the company moved its head office and factory from elsewhere in Richmond to Goodwood Street, Richmond.
The "
Pelaco"
neon sign over the Goodwood Street factory was erected in 1939.
At the company's peak in the 1950s, it had ten factories across Australia.
Cultural references
Australian football player
Royce Hart was recruited to
Richmond Football Club from
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
n team
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed ''The Kangaroos'' (and usually referred to as simply "The Roos"), is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.
Before 1947, they existed as Bel ...
with the promise of "a new suit and six shirts".
The "six shirts" were "half a dozen Pelacos".
References
External links
* {{official website
Companies established in the 1910s
Clothing brands of Australia
Manufacturing companies based in Melbourne
Australian companies established in 1915
Clothing companies established in 1915