Type Public Website www.bonds.com.au Headquarters Kew Vic | Industry Clothing Founded 1915 Parent organization Pacific Brands | |
 | ||
Key people David Bortolussi (Group General Manager) Products Underwear
Sleepwear
Light casual apparel Profiles | ||
Pacific Brands Underwear Group, known under its core brand Bonds, is an Australian manufacturer and importer of men's, women's and children's underwear and clothing, and a subsidiary of Pacific Brands. The head office is located at 115 Cotham Rd in Kew, Melbourne.
Contents
Bonds is the number 1 underwear brand in Australia, and a popular mid-range clothing brand there and in the United Kingdom. Its trademark Chesty Bond is recognised by many Australians as a national icon.
History
Bonds was established in 1915 by George Allan Bond, an American who came to Australia in the early twentieth century. He started importing women's hosiery and gloves. In 1917 he began manufacturing hosiery in Redfern, Sydney. In 1918 he moved to Camperdown and began also making underwear. In 1932, Bond built Australia’s first cotton spinning mill at Wentworthville in western Sydney. This particular section of Wentworthville was soon renamed Pendle Hill in honour of his Scottish family origins. To facilitate easy access to Bond's Spinning Mills for employees, a railway station and eventually a whole new suburb were created.
The company went into liquidation in 1929 and a public company, Bonds Industries Limited, was established. In 1970 the company merged with Coats Paton Pty Ltd. In 1987 the company was taken over by Pacific Dunlop, and it was then sold in 2001 to form a separate entity, Pacific Brands Holdings Pty Ltd. At that time also the spinning mill was closed. In 2004 Pacific Brands Limited was listed as a public company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and the New Zealand Exchange (NZX).
In 2006, Bonds manufactured 40% of its goods in Australia at three sites in New South Wales: Cessnock, Unanderra and Wentworthville. The factories produced nearly 17 million garments a year and employed 295 full-time staff. The company also has relationships with a number of independent manufacturers in China.
Pacific Brands cut 1850 jobs and ceased manufacturing in Australia by September 2010 to reduce manufacturing costs. After public outrage and media coverage of the sacked staff, a group of former employees banded together to form Tuffys & Tuffetts underwear, buying much of Bonds' old equipment and rehiring sacked staff.
Products
The best known of Bonds brands is the Chesty Bond singlet, marketed using the iconic character of the same name. Apart from singlets, Bonds also markets a variety of underwear and sleepwear garments including boxers, briefs and trunk styles of underwear for men, light tees and polo shirts. The product line for women is more extensive, offering sports and maternity wear alongside casual clothing, and a variety of undergarments including bras and hipsters. There is also a range of apparel for children and infants, including singlets, underwear and sleepwear.
Pat Rafter appears in numerous Bonds television ads, and represents some products. In 2015, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea also signed on to be the face of the BONDS100 campaign for the company's 100th birthday.