Downs & Son

Downs & Son was a family-owned Australian rope, twine and cordage manufacturer based in Brunswick, Victoria. The business developed from a rope works established by English-born rope maker Allen Cavanagh Downs after his arrival in Victoria in 1888. Initially operating in partnership as Downs and Markwald, the firm became Downs & Son in 1892 when Allen's son, John William Cavanagh Downs, joined the business. It subsequently became associated with the Samson Cordage Works factory on Tinning Street, Brunswick. The company manufactured a broad range of cordage products, from heavy rope to fine twine, sewing thread, fishing line and braided cords. Its catalogue also included nets, reins, butcher's twine, animal rugs, chalk lines, horse ties, hammocks, blind cords, tennis nets, halters and parachute cords. Over time, production shifted away from large rope and toward smaller, more intricate cordage products. Around 1960, the firm added plaited candle wick to its output. The company also supplied specialized and institutional products, including halters for military horses, goods for government purchasers in Australia and overseas, and special whip cord used at Pentridge prison. The Brunswick factory expanded substantially during the first half of the twentieth century. After the business moved to Tinning Street in 1903, the site grew from a substantial rope works into a large industrial complex. Brick buildings replaced earlier timber structures in 1907. Factory floor space increased to approximately 65,000 square feet by 1930 and exceeded 100,000 square feet by 1936. The works employed a predominantly local workforce, including around 50 employees in 1915, and provided facilities such as a cafeteria and social hall by the late 1940s. Manufacturing depended on imported raw materials and specialized machinery. Hemp and flax came from New Zealand, cotton from the United States, and other fibres and yarns from countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, India and the Philippines. The works used rope walks, braiding machinery, fibre-dressing equipment, spinning and dyeing facilities, and machinery for finishing cordage. The site’s large covered rope walk could be extended outdoors to a length of roughly 1,640 feet in the early twentieth century, although it was later shortened as the company concentrated on smaller products. Downs & Son sold under the Samson, Lion and Security names and reached customers across Australia and overseas. A 1924 trademark dispute with the American Samson Cordage Works concerned the use of marks and descriptions including Samson, Lion and Blue Dot. The dispute resulted in an injunction against Downs & Son in September 1924. The company nevertheless continued operating through the twentieth century under successive generations of the Downs family. Raymond Downs became managing director around 1940, followed later by John Trevor Cavanagh Downs. In 1975, the business was subjected to an armed robbery at its Cassels Road office. In 1992, Downs & Son was sold to New Zealand-based Donaghys Industries. It briefly traded as Donaghy, Downs & Son, but the Brunswick factory soon closed permanently. The former works were later converted into apartments. The surviving buildings remain an unusually intact example of Melbourne's historic rope-manufacturing industry and are listed in the Victorian Heritage Database.

Allen Cavanagh Downs, who had learned rope making in England, immigrated to Victoria in 1888. He first worked as a master rope maker for James Miller & Co. in Coburg before establishing his own operation with Henry Markwald later that year. The partnership was initially known as Downs and Markwald. In 1892, Allen's son John William Cavanagh Downs joined the enterprise, which was reorganized as Downs & Son. The early business operated from several premises in Coburg and Brunswick. Its locations included a site on Sydney Road, used from 1888 to 1900, and the Moreland Rope Works in Brunswick, occupied from 1892 to 1903. In 1903, the company moved to a larger factory on Tinning Street and operated there as Samson Cordage Works. The location offered access to Melbourne and a large, level industrial site. The factory occupied an approximately eight-acre block, with the initial buildings covering about 25,000 square feet. The works expanded quickly. By 1905, it employed about 30 people, and by 1915 its workforce had reached approximately 50, including adults and younger workers. Timber buildings were replaced with brick structures in 1907. Expansion continued as the business developed a broad product range and increased its distribution across Australia and overseas. Factory floor area reached about 65,000 square feet by 1930 and more than 100,000 square feet by 1936. The enterprise remained family controlled and drew much of its workforce from the surrounding Brunswick area. The manufacturing process combined imported fibres with increasingly sophisticated machinery. The company imported hemp and flax from New Zealand, cotton from the United States, and yarn and other materials from Europe, Asia and the United Kingdom. The factory could spin some yarns, dye materials on site and process fibres through dressing, twisting, braiding and finishing stages. Its rope walk was approximately 400 feet under cover in 1906 and could be extended to around 1,640 feet outdoors. Machinery included a maypole braider and equipment for combining hemp into three- or four-strand rope. Some finishing methods were treated as trade secrets. Downs & Son initially made the full range of cordage, including large ropes, but later concentrated on smaller and more intricate products. This change shortened the rope walk and supported increased production of twine, sewing thread, sash cord, fishing line, halters and related goods. The company also made nets, reins, butcher's twine, animal rugs, chalk lines, horse ties, hammocks, blind cords, tennis nets and parachute cords. Around 1960 it began producing plaited candle wick. Its customers included businesses, consumers, governments and overseas purchasers. The firm supplied halters for Victorian cavalry contingents during the Second Boer War and produced special whip cord for Pentridge prison. The company's brand portfolio included Samson, Lion and Security. In 1924, the United States-based Samson Cordage Works sued over alleged trademark infringement, including the use of the Blue Dot mark and the descriptions Samson cordage and Lion cordage. Downs & Son disputed the validity of the opposing marks under Australian law and argued that it had used the names and marks earlier. The court issued an injunction against Downs & Son in September of that year, while noting that the overlapping business names complicated the matter. Management passed through several generations. John William Cavanagh Downs succeeded his father, Raymond Downs became managing director around 1940, and John Trevor Cavanagh Downs later represented the fourth generation of family management. The company continued through the late twentieth century, although its production increasingly emphasized specialized smaller cordage rather than traditional heavy rope. In 1975, armed robbers targeted payroll staff at the Cassels Road office. Downs & Son was sold in 1992 to Donaghys Industries of New Zealand. It briefly traded as Donaghy, Downs & Son, but the Tinning Street facility soon closed permanently. The former industrial complex has since been converted into apartments. Its surviving buildings are regarded as the most intact remaining rope works in Brunswick and among the best-preserved examples of the industry in Melbourne. The site is listed in the Victorian Heritage Database.

• 1992

  Business sold and factory subsequently closed

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  Donaghys Industries acquired Downs & Son. The business briefly used the Donaghy, Downs & Son name before the Brunswick factory closed.

• 1975

  Armed robbery targets company payroll

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  Armed men confronted payroll staff outside the Cassels Road office and stole the payroll cash.

• 1960

  Plaited candle wick added to production

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  The firm began manufacturing plaited candle wick as part of its move into specialized smaller cordage products.

• 1936

  Factory expands beyond 100,000 square feet

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  The Brunswick works expanded to more than 100,000 square feet as the company's product range and output grew.

• 1930

  Factory floor space reaches approximately 65,000 square feet

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  Continued business growth expanded the factory's floor area to approximately 65,000 square feet.

• 1907

  Brick factory buildings replace timber structures

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  The company replaced the earlier timber factory buildings with brick structures that survive as part of the historic site.

• 1903

  Relocation to the Samson Cordage Works

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  The rope works moved to a larger factory on Tinning Street in Brunswick and became associated with the Samson Cordage Works name.

• 1892

  Downs & Son is formed

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  Allen's son John William Cavanagh Downs joined the business, replacing the Downs and Markwald name with Downs & Son.

• 1888

  Allen Cavanagh Downs establishes a rope-making operation in Victoria

  [1]Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org

  After immigrating from England, Allen Cavanagh Downs worked briefly for James Miller & Co. before establishing a rope works with Henry Markwald under the name Downs and Markwald.

A vertically capable, family-operated Australian cordage manufacturer serving industrial, agricultural, military, government and consumer markets with a wide range of rope, twine and specialized braided products.

• Cordage · 1888

  Rope and twine

  The company's core output ranged from heavy rope to fine twine. In its later history, Downs & Son increasingly concentrated on smaller cordage products, including specialized twine, sash cord and related braided goods, while retaining the technical capabilities developed in traditional rope making.

• Textile and cordage products

  Braided cords and threads

  Downs & Son produced plaited and braided cords, sewing threads and other fine cordage. On-site spinning, dyeing and braiding capabilities allowed the factory to process imported fibres into products with different thicknesses, constructions and finishes.

• Specialized cordage

  Fishing lines, nets and halters

  The firm manufactured fishing lines, nets, horse halters, reins, horse ties and other practical cordage goods. These products served agricultural, sporting, military and general commercial users in Australia and overseas.

• Wick and braided textile products · 1960

  Plaited candle wick

  Around 1960, the company added plaited candle wick to its manufacturing range, extending its expertise in fine braiding into a product outside its traditional rope and twine categories.

• 1992

  Sale to Donaghys IndustriesM&A

  Background

  After operating as a family business through much of the twentieth century, Downs & Son was sold to a New Zealand-based cordage company.

  Action taken

  Donaghys Industries acquired the business, which briefly traded as Donaghy, Downs & Son.

  Aftermath

  The Tinning Street factory soon closed permanently and was later converted into apartments.

  Source

• 1924

  Response to Samson Cordage trademark litigationOther

  Background

  The American Samson Cordage Works alleged that Downs & Son infringed its marks through the use of Samson, Lion and Blue Dot branding.

  Action taken

  Downs & Son contested the validity of the American company's trademarks under Australian law and asserted prior use of the relevant names and marks.

  Aftermath

  The court granted an injunction against Downs & Son in September 1924.

  Source

• 1903

  Move to a larger Brunswick factoryStrategy

  Background

  The expanding business needed more land and production capacity than its earlier Coburg and Brunswick premises provided.

  Action taken

  Downs & Son relocated its rope works to the Tinning Street factory, which operated as Samson Cordage Works.

  Aftermath

  The site became the company's principal manufacturing base and expanded substantially during the twentieth century.

  Source

1. 1Downs & Sonen.wikipedia.org