CHAPTER 3 The History of Cotton WORLD COTTON HISTORY A BRIEF Archaeologists found cotton fabric 5,000 years old Over the next 2,000 years, cotton, wool and silk become the USA, provided much of the raw cotton. SUMMARY at Mohenjo Daro, an ancient town in the Indus River became the preferred fibres for fine fabrics across With lower production costs, cotton became more Valley of West Pakistan, and similarly aged the developed world. In less developed and warmer affordable and its popularity soared. During this examples have been found in Egypt and Mexico. countries where cotton farming, home spinning and COTTON HAS A VERY LONG AND period, specialty cotton including Egyptian, Sea Although the cotton plant is thought to have initially village industry were interlocked – cotton was Island (Caribbean and South East USA) and Tanguis INTERESTING HISTORY IN THE grown wild in East Africa, it was first cultivated in the dominant, and still is, 2,000 years later. (Peru) became highly prized for use in very soft and WORLD AND IS ONE OF THE country now known as Pakistan where its early uses In more developed countries the surge in cotton fine fabrics. OLDEST KNOWN FIBRES. were as a textile for clothing, bindings for sandals consumption was triggered by the Industrial However, the American Civil War changed things; THE WORD COTTON COMES and harnesses for elephants. The Greek historian, Revolution of the late 18th Century. Spinning mills European nations were forced to look for other FROM AN ARABIC WORD Herodotus (484 – 425 BC) wrote about a tree in Asia sprang up in places like Manchester which led to sources of supply and the British looked to their that bore cotton ‘exceeding in goodness and beauty ports like Liverpool becoming major cotton shipping then colonies, including Australia. ‘QUTUN’ OR ‘KUTUN’ USED TO the wool of any sheep.’ Cotton was widely used in centres. With access to slave labour and new Upland DESCRIBE ANY FINE TEXTILE the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and types of cotton, the American colonies, soon to AND SOME OF THE EARLIEST the Indian sub continent. Early Mediterranean FABRIC RELICS FOUND IN traders, the Ionians and Phoenicians introduced cotton materials to Europe. EXCAVATIONS OF ANCIENT Fact Sheet: World Cotton History CIVILISATIONS WERE COTTON.
A contrast in spinning technology
Arkwork’s Spinning Frame, invented in And the modern day version – about 1767 Australian Cotton being spun enabling cheap in Dongying Hongyuan production of Textile mill (China) cotton cloth photo by John Hamparsum AUSTRALIAN COTTON HISTORY A BRIEF SUMMARY THE EARLY YEARS OF By Cotton Industry Legend, Ralph Schulzé COTTON PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA
Cotton has a relatively long to reach 20,000 acres in 1960. picked up by the media as far history in Australia – native Up until this period, cotton was away as California. Two cotton varieties have grown here for regarded as a low input dryland farmers from near Merced, many thousands of years. crop or as a pioneering crop for California, Paul Kahl and Frank However, although cotton was recently cleared land. Irrigation Hadley, were so impressed that introduced to Australia with the was rare, yields marginal, and in early 1961 they came to First Fleet, it did not establish fibre quality poor and variable – Australia to see for themselves! itself even as a minor then things changed! They were soon to be followed commercial crop until the The modern era of Australian by others and as a result a 1850’s. Then the American Civil cotton began. cohort of American cotton War started. Despite some opinion to the families emigrated to the Wee Gins were built, and relatively contrary, the modern era did not Waa district and other areas. It large areas of cotton were have a singular origin. Cotton was the unique blend of grown around centres such farmers in various areas of American “know how” and as Beaudesert, Caboolture, Southern and Central practical Australian innovation Ipswich and Central Queensland concurrently began that made these early efforts Queensland. addressing cotton as a higher so successful. But when international trade input, better managed, irrigated Meanwhile, in Queensland, returned to normal, Australian crop. At the same time what is progressive farmers in the cotton production declined, now the Australian Cotton Lockyer, Callide-Dawson and falling to a total of 15 acres in Research Institute was Condamine valleys were 1886. In the early 1900’s it established near Narrabri successfully developing reappeared and production following the completion of irrigation and sound crop gradually rose to 50,000 acres in Keepit Dam. management. New irrigation 1924, and after a temporary Research quickly focused on areas at St. George and decline, to 60,000 acres in 1936. cotton as an exciting possibility. Emerald were also providing In this pre-war period there were In these critical first three years, opportunities for successful cotton gins at Rockhampton, and before his transfer to wheat cotton trials and expansion. Wowan, Gladstone, Gayndah, research, a Hungarian plant Dalby and Brisbane. breeder, Nick Derera, provided Following World War II the foresight to develop those production again fell to around possibilities. In this pioneering 2,500 acres. But with the effort he was assisted by the availability of better mechanical farm manager Tom Lawler, and cotton pickers, and an a young agronomist, Ralph increased Commonwealth Schulzé. News of these bounty, production again rose promising early results was
Fact Sheet: Australian Cotton History TIMELINE HISTORY OF COTTON GROWING IN AUSTRALIA
1934 1966 Cotton 1971 production Cotton Raw Cotton 1973 1857 reaches 1960 established in Cotton Bounty Small 17,000 bales Limited the Macquarie production on removed at quantities of 1863 irrigated Valley the Ord River 67 South the request dryland cotton 1870s cotton following Scheme Pacific Islander Australian of the cotton grown in 1906 production completion ceases, labourers cotton industry. 1788 Queensland ‘Coloured’ commences of the mainly due brought to production 1954 Cotton The First labour in south-west Burrendong to insect QLD to staff peaks then Cotton production Fleet brings prohibted Queensland Dam. Cotton resistance to the fledging falls as industry reaches cottonseed production pesticides to Australia cotton industry world prices almost also begins 87,000 bales in Townsvale decline non-existent at Bourke 1788 1830 1863-1904 1908 1926 First shipment An estimated 1968 > Almost The Queensland of cotton 62,500 south 90% of Cotton Marketing Emerald 1972 sea Islanders Irrigation Area exported to 1861-65 south sea Board is established. 1958 1961 Australian Cotton American Civil were brought to Commercial produces first England, Islanders Government subsidy Keepit Dam is Foundation (now War causes Australia to crop planted exportable consisting of deported introduced to promote completed on Cotton Australia) American cotton develop the at Wee Waa, surplus three bags production in central the Namoi and the Australian production to cotton and using water Queensland River in NSW, Cotton Growers fall. Australia sugar industries from Keepit providing Research attempts to Dam irrigation water Association fill the gap to the Namoi established Valley
FIRST SHIPMENT OF COTTON EXPORTED TO ENGLAND, WAS IN 1830, CONSISTING OF THREE BAGS
2012 Cotton Awards – 40 Years of Cotton Australia Australian Cotton History An interactive timeline chronicling the history of Australia’s cotton industry and some of its leading organisations including Cotton Australia TIMELINE HISTORY OF COTTON GROWING IN AUSTRALIA
1996 2008/09 1976 The first transgenic A new path is Cotton 1990 cotton variety 2005/06 set for Cotton ® 95% of 2010/11 established in Cotton industry (Ingard ) introduced Australia as it 2002 Australia’s Record crop the Gwydir self-funds First to Australia merges with a 2011/12 Valley at Moree Roundup cotton key research of 4.1 million Environmental ® 2002-04 Record crop Ready growers plant bales, industry using water Audit, leading Worst drought partner, the of 5.3 million bales 1980 cotton transgenic in resurgence from the newly to introduction 1997 in 100 years Australian from 566,000 Cotton introduced varieties, after almost constructed of Best Cotton results in Cotton Growers hectares planted production to Australia accounting a decade Copeton Dam Management production 60 per cent Research reaches for 80 per of drought Practices (BMP) reaches reduction in Association 435,000 cent of total 2.7 million crop size (ACGRA). bales bales cotton crop 2013 2003 2007/08 < 1975 1977 1985 Cotton industry 1995 Australian Cotton The Cotton undertakes Drought causes 2001 cotton industry 2009/10 production construction production Second 2012 harvest to fall to Crop reaches 2005 severely myBMP reaches of the Pindari reaches Environmental Australian 3rd Environmental 1.5 million bales record high of impacted by re-launched 110,000 and Glenlyon 1.1 million Audit crop sets Assessment of 3.4 million bales drought, as an electronic, bales Dams allows bales new world the Australian leading to internet-based cotton to be record yield, cotton industry 2003 smallest crop program grown in the 2001 Transgenic leading to a finds significant 1992 World cotton in 30 years Macintyre World record Bollgard II® 2.9 million improvements in price reaches Valley in yields in Australia variety bale crop natural resource lowest level in Southern lead to record introduced management nearly 30 years Queensland 2.2 million to Australia, since 2003 bale crop replacing Ingard®
A RECORD CROP IN 2011/12 OF 5.3 MILLION BALES, ESTABLISHES INDUSTRY RECOVERY AFTER ALMOST
A DECADE OF DROUGHT CONTACT COTTON AUSTRALIA FOR A COPY OF THE DOCUMENTARY ‘A LIFE IN COTTON’