Ansell

Early years

Ansell's history began in 1893 with the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company of Australasia being listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Eric Norman Ansell, later to found Ansell, worked at the company as a mechanic then, in 1905, he left to set up his own business manufacturing condoms.

Between 1905 and 1929, Eric Ansell dedicated himself to broadening his rubber manufacturing experience, producing new types of products such as balloons and household gloves. Finally in 1929, his company was registered as E.N. Ansell & Sons Pty Ltd. In 1934, the company's name was changed to The Ansell Rubber Company Pty Ltd. More than thirty years later, in 1965, Ansell introduced its first disposable surgical gloves under the Gammex brand. Innovative for their time, the gloves were sterilized using gamma radiation and then packaged so they were ready-to-wear.

In 1906, Dunlop was renamed to Dunlop Rubber Company of Australasia. In 1929, it merged with the Perdriau Rubber Company, a manufacturer of general rubber products based in Sydney, forming Dunlop Perdriau. The new company focused primarily on the production of automobile tyres and later expanded into other rubber products. In 1967, the company changed its name to Dunlop Australia, and in 1969 it acquired Ansell.

Late 20th century

In 1980, Dunlop Australia merged with diversified industrial company BTR Nylex to form Dunlop Olympic. This merger aimed to expand the company's product range and market presence beyond rubber products to various industrial and consumer goods. In 1986, Dunlop Olympic changed its name to Pacific Dunlop Limited.