The Swanndri Man - Kiwi Icons

No one watching William Henry Broome walk the streets of New Plymouth - exceedingly dapper in his three piece suits and hat - would think he was the inventor of one of New Zealand’s most iconic pieces of rugged clothing.
Broome was born in Leek, Staffordshire, England on September 30, 1873, the fifth child of Joseph Broome, a shoe manufacturer, and his wife, Elizabeth James. His father died when he was only a few months old.
At the age of 21, William came to New Zealand. A tailor and clothier, he set up his shop, a clothier and outfitters called The Palatine on Devon Street, New Plymouth.
On 12 June 1902, in New Plymouth, he married Maud Margaret Freeth; they went on to have four children before Maud died in November 1909.
Then Broome met Ivy Ruth Hooker, a tailoress and married her in 1915. They had three children.
William was always dressed to the nines, showing off his goods but his interests extended well beyond high fashion.
He knew a good many of the men of New Zealand worked on the land, often in rugged conditions and he undertook to create a work shirt.
William designed a (then) short-sleeved, long in the back woollen overshirt with a laced front, creating it for New Zealand conditions. He immersed it in a special - and still secret - waterproofing formula.
He patented his invention in 1913 and also created the now famous Swanndri logo - a swan in a circle.
The shirts were initially manufactured at the Bruce Woollen Mill in Milton, Southland, but the water proofing was done at William’s home in Doralto Road.
A side effect of the waterproofing was that the shirts were sometimes imperfect in size, so William decided to sell them as one size fits all.
He began selling them from his shop. He would set up a shop’s dummy wearing one then turn the hose on it to prove it was waterproof.
They became, with the outdoor lifestyle of New Zealand, a huge hit. It became well known for its warmth and waterproof properties.
In 1935 he went into business with C W Lynch to establish a men’s outfitting store, Broome and Lynch on the corner of Liardet and Devon St.
William was also an active member of his community, playing tennis, cricket, bowls and golf. He sang in a male choir and a member of the New Plymouth Operatic Society.
He died on June 8, 1943. His son Brian took over the Swanndri label and licensed it to tailor John McKendrick who added a hood and long sleeves and created the original olive green colour. His firm, Jack Mack Limited, began to produce the shirts and paid royalties to the Broome family.
The trademark was later sold to Alliance Textiles who now manufacture the iconic shirt.
Broome is buried at Te Henui Cemetery in New Plymouth.