Collection: Onkaparinga (Australia)
Onkaparinga traces its origins to 1869, when German immigrant brothers Heinrich and Edward Kramm began weaving in Hahndorf, South Australia. Their enterprise subsequently moved to Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills, where the woollen mill became a major local employer and an enduring part of the region's industrial history.
After early changes of ownership and periods of difficulty, the business reopened as the South Australian Woollen Factory in 1883. It took the name Onkaparinga Woollen Mill Company in 1928, establishing the identity that would become familiar in Australian homes through its blankets and rugs.
The brand gained wider recognition during the economic and wool-export boom following the Second World War. Its blankets became a recognisable part of Australian domestic life, linking the country's wool industry with the practical textiles used in everyday homes.
The Lobethal mill closed in the early 1990s, although the Onkaparinga brand continued under later ownership. The original mill's machinery, records and memorabilia are preserved in the Onkaparinga Woollen Mill Museum, documenting the spinning, weaving and finishing processes behind these textiles. Vintage mill-made blankets should be distinguished from the brand's later production, with individual labels providing important clues to origin and fibre content.
Read more about the Onkaparinga Woollen Company's history here, and the mill museum here.
