Goondiwindi Cotton: Sam Coulton has been making garments since 1991

ONE of the first cotton growers in the Goondiwindi region, Sam Coulton has been making cotton garments since 1991.

THERE is a lot of history behind Goondiwindi Cotton, started by Sam Coulton in 1991 as a way of value adding to the business.

Mr Coulton’s family was one of the first two cotton growers in the Goondiwindi region back in 1977.

“This is year was the 40th cotton pick in Goondiwindi,” Mr Coulton said.

Sam Coulton from Goondiwindi Cotton.

“We planted the first crop in 1977 and picked it in 1978.

“We were looking to value add a product in the ‘80s and we ended up making garments.”

Mr Coulton said they started making garments and selling them to their neighbours and at the riverside markets in Brisbane.

“About the same time we were making clothes for a surf wear label in Newcastle, Piping Hot. We were helping them produce about 700,000 t-shirts a year.

“We had to learn how to make them so we joined up with a manufacturer in Newcastle. We were supplying the cotton and they were weaving it and dying it.

“At the same time we were making t-shirts and garments under the Goondiwindi cotton label.”

They then turned the focus to producing their own garments. The first step was getting the cotton fibre spun into yarn.

“We had some spinning done in Australia, but most was done in Indonesia in those early days,” Mr Coulton said.

“Then we had it knitted and dyed in Sydney and Melbourne. The rolls of fabric would then arrive back in Goondiwindi where we’d have it cut, trimmed and sewed by girls we’d trained at the TAFE in Boggabilla.

“Then they bought their own sewing machines and started doing it themselves from home. It was perfect for them because they had a job before they left TAFE. We paid them $6-$7 a garment and they ended up making about 22 per day. Which back then was pretty good.”

They would then bring the garments back to the office where they were pressed and finished.

“Everything is all done overseas now. We have it done in China,” Mr Coulton said.

“All the spinning and knitting mills in Australia have closed down. That was about 10 years ago.

“There were nine spinning mills when we started in the ‘80s and now there’s none left.”

Mr Coulton said one of his first customers was Hanna’s.

“It was called Coorey’s in Goondi which was owned by the Hanna family. So I’ve been retailing to the Hanna family to about 1995,” he said.

Goondiwindi Cotton has two designers.

“One is from Goondiwindi, Louise Lye, and one lives in Sydney, Maryanne Marshall. They’ve pretty well been with me since the beginning,” Mr Coulton said.

“We make garments for the country people. We make nice, casual, smart garments.

“That was our target market when we started and it still is our country market.

“Look good, feel good, dance. I suppose that’s our motto.”

Goondiwindi Cotton uses 75 bales a year for its production.

“You’ll make between 700-1000 garments per bale, depending on the count of the yarn,” Mr Coulton said.

“About 20 per cent of our production is our own cotton. The rest is either Australian cotton or from California in America. We spin it by contract in China.

“We make about 50,000 garments per year.”

Mr Coulton said the family had a number of properties in the Goondiwindi area, but their home farm was Getta Getta, about 80 kilometres outside of Goondiwindi, into New South Wales.

Mr Coulton’s family grows cotton, wheat, barley, sorghum, chickpea and cattle on its properties.

“Forty per cent of our operation is grain whether it’s cotton seed or our rotation of wheat, barley, sorghum and chickpeas,” he said.

“We grow some irrigated and dryland cotton.”

Mr Coulton said they had just finished picking their cotton.

“Our pick has been good, we’re pleased with our yield and our quality. It’s been dry, so it’s brilliant picking conditions in April,” he said.

“We’ve been wrapping our modules in pink this year for the McGrath foundation. It’s about $5 for a round module and it all goes to the foundation.”

Mr Coulton said he was the third generation of his family to farm in the area.

“The fourth is there now and the fifth is about to hit,” he said.

“My grandfather brought a property in North Star, Getta Getta, in 1924.

“My grandfather had sheep until we could no longer rely on that so we started dryland farming, and then we put some irrigation down.

“We still own that property.”

Mr Coulton is also the ideas man behind the Discover Farming.

Goondiwindi Cotton will host the event throughout May, showcasing the area and promoting economic development and investment.

Visit: www.discoverfarming.com.au to find out more.