Hanes Australasia
Australian apparel and consumer-products business formerly known as Pacific Brands, now operating as Hanes Australasia within Hanesbrands.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Hanes Australasia is an Australian consumer-products and apparel business formerly known as Pacific Brands. Its corporate history reaches back to 1893, when the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company established a Melbourne branch. After becoming an independently controlled Australian company and passing through several corporate names, the business developed a substantial consumer-products portfolio under Pacific Dunlop. Pacific Brands was formed in 1985 as Pacific Dunlop's consumer-goods division and was later separated from its former parent through a sale to CVC Asia Pacific and Catalyst Investment Managers. The business was floated on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2004 and became one of Australia's significant branded apparel and household-goods groups. Over several decades, the company assembled a broad collection of Australian and international brands. Its portfolio included Bonds underwear and clothing, Berlei women's underwear, Bras N Things lingerie, Sheridan bedding and homewares, Tontine pillows, footwear labels, workwear brands, sporting-goods businesses, and various licensed or distributed labels. Acquisitions were an important part of its expansion, including Holeproof, Berlei Hestia, Grosby, Sara Lee Apparel Australia, Kolotex, Sheridan, Yakka, and other apparel, hosiery, footwear, and homewares businesses. Pacific Brands also supplied products connected with major national events, including the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. The company underwent a major restructuring during the global financial crisis. In 2009 it announced a strategy to withdraw from much of its Australian manufacturing base and increase reliance on offshore sourcing. The plan involved approximately 1,850 redundancies and the closure of most domestic manufacturing sites. It attracted strong criticism from unions and became a prominent example in Australian debates about manufacturing, employment, supply chains, and the competitiveness of locally made consumer goods. Pacific Brands also raised capital and refinanced debt during the restructuring period. During the 2010s, Pacific Brands increasingly concentrated on selected apparel, underwear, hosiery, and household brands while divesting other activities. It sold its sleep-products and foam operations, leisure and fitness businesses, workwear portfolio, and footwear and sports portfolio. It also expanded direct retail and digital channels, including Bonds and Sheridan websites and Bonds-branded stores. The company joined the Ethical Trading Initiative in 2008, progressed from Beginner to Improver and then Achiever status, and became a signatory to the Bangladesh Accord in 2013. Hanesbrands agreed to acquire Pacific Brands in 2016 for approximately A$800 million. The transaction was completed later that year, Pacific Brands ceased to operate as an independent listed company, and its principal Australian brands became part of Hanesbrands' regional business. The business is now generally identified as Hanes Australasia. Its principal brands include Bonds, Bras N Things, Berlei, and Sheridan. The former Tontine pillow and Dunlop Flooring businesses were sold after the acquisition. The company therefore represents both a continuing Australian brand portfolio and the Australian operating unit of a larger international apparel group.
History
The business that became Hanes Australasia traces its origins to 1893, when the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company opened a branch factory in Melbourne. The Australian operation was separated from the original company in 1899 and became Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company of Australasia. Following further corporate changes, it became Pacific Dunlop. The consumer-products division known as Pacific Brands was created within Pacific Dunlop in 1985. Its development drew on a long series of brand launches and acquisitions. Bonds, founded in 1915, became a major underwear and clothing label; the business also developed or acquired brands and operations in footwear, sporting goods, bedding, hosiery, workwear, and women's intimate apparel. Important developments included Bonds' Men's Athletic Singlet, later widely associated with the Chesty Bond name; the acquisition of Holeproof and Berlei Hestia in 1969; the creation of a branded footwear business through Grosby; entry into sporting goods through Empire Racket Company; and the development of bedding operations including Sleepmaker. Pacific Brands expanded substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. It acquired Bonds in 1987, opened Sheridan boutique stores in 1994, entered outerwear through Boydex International in 1995, and established a Berlei manufacturing operation in Indonesia in 1997. It later obtained Australian licences for Clarks and Hush Puppies and acquired the Sara Lee Apparel Australia business, including King Gee, Playtex, Razzamatazz, and Stubbies. In 2002 the consumer-products division was separated from Pacific Dunlop and sold to CVC Asia Pacific and Catalyst Investment Managers. The company subsequently listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and New Zealand Exchange in 2004. The acquisition-led strategy continued during the 2000s. Pacific Brands acquired Kolotex, Sachi women's footwear, Sheridan and associated homewares businesses, Peri and Foam Products Australia, parts of Globe International's streetwear portfolio, and the Yakka group of workwear companies. It also developed its distribution portfolio through licences and brand partnerships. In 2008 the company launched the Berlei Barely There bra and joined the Ethical Trading Initiative as a founding Australian member. The global financial crisis prompted a major change in direction. In 2009 Pacific Brands said that much of its Australian manufacturing was no longer economically viable and announced the closure of most domestic production sites, around 1,850 redundancies, a shift toward offshore sourcing, a capital raising of approximately A$165 million, and debt refinancing. The restructuring was opposed by unions and criticized by groups concerned about the loss of Australian manufacturing capacity. The company continued to develop its ethical-sourcing program and reported progress within the Ethical Trading Initiative from Beginner status in 2008 to Improver in 2010 and Achiever in 2011. During the early 2010s, Pacific Brands divested non-core operations. It sold its Chinese Grosby factory and United Kingdom footwear business in 2010, sold Sleepmaker and Dunlop Foams and its leisure and fitness operations in 2011, and sold its workwear portfolio to Wesfarmers in 2014 for approximately A$180 million. Its footwear and sports portfolio was also sold through several transactions in 2014. At the same time, the company expanded digital and retail distribution, launching Sheridan and Bonds websites and opening its first Bonds retail store in 2012. It acquired Incorporatewear in 2013 and the Crestell pillow and bedding-accessories business in 2015. Hanesbrands acquired Pacific Brands in 2016. The acquisition ended Pacific Brands' independent corporate and stock-market identity. Its leading Australian brands were retained within Hanesbrands' regional operations, which became known as Hanes Australasia. The business's principal continuing brands are Bonds, Bras N Things, Berlei, and Sheridan. Former pillow and flooring operations, including Tontine and Dunlop Flooring, were sold after the acquisition. Reference material also reports a proposed 2026 sale of HanesBrands Australia to BBFIT Investments by Gildan Activewear, subject to conditions; the completion status of that reported transaction is not established here.
- 2016
Acquisition by Hanesbrands
[1]Hanesbrands acquires Pacific Brands for approximately A$800 million, after which the company becomes part of Hanesbrands' Australian operations.
- 2014
Workwear and footwear portfolios divested
[1]The company sells its workwear portfolio to Wesfarmers and disposes of its footwear and sports portfolio through several transactions.
- 2013
Bangladesh Accord signatory
[1]Pacific Brands becomes a signatory to the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety.
- 2009
Domestic manufacturing restructuring
[1]The company announces a major reduction in Australian manufacturing, approximately 1,850 redundancies, offshore sourcing expansion, capital raising, and debt refinancing.
- 2004
Public listing
[1]Pacific Brands is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and the New Zealand Exchange.
- 2002
Pacific Brands is separated from Pacific Dunlop
[1]The consumer-products division is spun off from Pacific Dunlop and sold to CVC Asia Pacific and Catalyst Investment Managers.
- 1985
Pacific Brands is formed
[1]Pacific Brands is created as the consumer-products division of Pacific Dunlop.
- 1915
Bonds is founded
[1]Bonds is established and later becomes one of the group's best-known underwear and clothing brands.
- 1893
Dunlop establishes a Melbourne branch
[1]The Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company opens a branch factory in Melbourne, establishing the business lineage of the later Australian consumer-products group.
Products and positioning
A portfolio-based Australian apparel and household-products business built around familiar everyday brands, with particular strength in underwear, intimate apparel, clothing basics, bedding, and homewares. Under Hanesbrands, Hanes Australasia combines established Australian brand equity with international sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities.
Underwear, clothing, and babywear · 1915
Bonds
Bonds is the group's flagship Australian basics brand. Its range centers on underwear, everyday clothing, socks, loungewear, and babywear. The brand's history includes the Men's Athletic Singlet, popularly associated with the Chesty Bond name. During the Pacific Brands period, Bonds expanded beyond wholesale distribution through branded retail stores and an online channel.
Lingerie, sleepwear, and swimwear
Bras N Things
Bras N Things is a specialist intimate-apparel retail and product brand focused on bras, underwear, lingerie, sleepwear, and swimwear. It occupies a more fashion-oriented and store-led position than the everyday-basics emphasis associated with Bonds.
Women's underwear and bras · 1969
Berlei
Berlei is a women's intimate-apparel brand known particularly for bras and support-focused underwear. Its portfolio has included everyday, fuller-support, sports, and smoothing products, including the Barely There range introduced during the Pacific Brands period.
Bedding, towels, and homewares
Sheridan
Sheridan is a premium-oriented Australian homewares brand centered on bedding, bed linen, towels, and related household textiles. Pacific Brands acquired the Sheridan business in 2005 and developed dedicated boutique stores and an online channel. Sheridan remains one of Hanes Australasia's principal brands.
Pillows and sleep products
Tontine
Tontine was a pillow and sleep-products business formerly operated within the Pacific Brands portfolio. It used product education and replacement-cycle messaging, including a date-stamped pillow introduced in 2010. The business was sold after Hanesbrands acquired Pacific Brands.
Flooring
Dunlop Flooring
Dunlop Flooring was a former flooring business associated with Pacific Brands. Hanesbrands agreed to sell the flooring operations, along with the pillow businesses, in 2016 following the acquisition of Pacific Brands.
Controversies
2011
Shareholder opposition to executive remuneration report
Shareholders voiced opposition to the company's remuneration report amid criticism of executive bonuses during a period when reported sales and profitability had declined. The following year's vote obtained sufficient support to avoid a further remuneration-related escalation under Australia's two-strikes framework.
2010
Supply-chain labor-rights scrutiny
Oxfam Australia called for greater transparency and independent auditing of labor conditions in the company's supply chain, particularly in relation to living-wage and worker-rights expectations under ethical-trading standards.
2009
Offshore manufacturing and mass redundancies
Pacific Brands' decision to close most Australian manufacturing sites and move production toward offshore sourcing led to union protests and criticism over job losses, deindustrialization, and the effect on Australian manufacturing.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Bonds, Berlei, and Serena Williams ambassador program
Australia · International
Pacific Brands announced ambassador relationships involving Iggy Azalea for Bonds, Jessica Marais for Berlei Sensation, and a global extension of Berlei Sport's relationship with Serena Williams.
Outcome. The program increased the use of celebrity and athlete endorsements across the group's major apparel brands.
- 2012Volley Australian Olympic Team footwear partnership
Australia
Volley was selected as the official dress shoe of the Australian Olympic Team for the London 2012 opening and closing ceremonies. A limited number of the specially designed shoes were made available to the public.
Outcome. The partnership connected the Volley brand with a prominent national sporting event and created a limited retail edition.
- 2010Tontine pillow replacement campaign
Australia
Tontine promoted a date-stamped pillow and encouraged consumers to replace pillows approximately every two years. The campaign used research-based claims about pillow age and household hygiene to make replacement a visible consumer issue.
Outcome. The campaign generated public attention for the pillow category and positioned Tontine around product replacement and sleep hygiene.
Brand decisions
2016
Acquisition by HanesbrandsM&ABackground
Pacific Brands had become a focused portfolio of Australian apparel and consumer brands following several years of restructuring and divestments.
Action taken
Hanesbrands agreed to acquire and subsequently absorb Pacific Brands for approximately A$800 million.
Aftermath
Pacific Brands ceased to operate as an independent listed company, while its principal brands continued within Hanesbrands' Australian regional business, now known as Hanes Australasia.
Acquisition value. Approximately A$800 million (2016)
2014
Sale of the workwear portfolio to WesfarmersM&ABackground
Pacific Brands pursued a narrower portfolio strategy and reviewed businesses outside its core apparel and homewares focus.
Action taken
The company sold its workwear portfolio, including Stubbies, King Gee, and Hard Yakka, to Wesfarmers.
Aftermath
The divestment removed a substantial workwear business from Pacific Brands and supported its concentration on selected consumer brands.
Sale consideration. Approximately A$180 million (2014)
2009
Shift from domestic manufacturing to offshore sourcingStrategyBackground
During the global financial crisis, Pacific Brands said that much of its Australian manufacturing was no longer economically viable.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of most Australian manufacturing sites, approximately 1,850 redundancies, increased offshore sourcing, a capital raising of approximately A$165 million, and debt refinancing.
Aftermath
The decision reduced the company's domestic manufacturing footprint, provoked union opposition, and accelerated its transformation into a brand-management, sourcing, and distribution business.
Capital raised. Approximately A$165 million raised (2009)
Sources2 sources
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