The Australian Made, Australian Grown logo is a certification trade mark (CTM) registered for use with all 34 classes of goods. While ordinary trade marks are used to distinguish the goods or services of a business from those of their competitors, CTMs are used to signify that the goods or services have a particular standard with regard to quality, material, mode of manufacture, or origin.

SAI Global’s StandardsMark and the National Heart Foundation’s “tick” symbol are other examples of well-known CTMs in Australia.

The origins of the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign date back to shortly after Federation when the merits of buying Australian made were advocated in the Parliament. In the 1930s, various chambers of manufactures championed the cause of Australian Made, in publications and press advertisements.

A national campaign known as Operation Boomerang was launched in 1961 by the Associated Chambers of Manufactures of Australia. The aim of Operation Boomerang was to raise the profile of Australian manufacturing and encourage people to buy locally made goods. The logo for the campaign – a red boomerang on a blue background with the Southern Cross – can still be seen on some of our older buildings and shop signage today.

In 1986, a new logo was developed. The green and gold Australian Made logo was designed by Melbourne graphic designer Ken Cato and featured a stylised kangaroo within a triangle. The Australian Made Campaign was launched by then Prime Minister Bob Hawke in Melbourne.

The scheme, administered by the Advance Australia Foundation, attracted a significant number of users who paid a licence fee for the right to use the logo on their products. However, in 1996, the Foundation went into voluntary liquidation, and ownership of the logo reverted to the Australian Government. Existing licensees were given permission to continue using the logo until new arrangements were put into place.

During 1997 and 1998, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) took the lead in re-launching the logo, with an industry consultation process which led to the development of a new Code of Practice and administrative structure. On 1 July 1999 the Australian Made Campaign was relaunched with a new company - Australian Made Campaign Limited (AMCL) – as the approved certifier of users of the Australian Made logo.

The original Code of Practice, implemented in 1999, set out criteria for goods which were consistent with the country of origin provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 as amended in 1998. In order to be eligible to carry the logo, goods had to be “substantially transformed” in Australia, and 50% or more of the cost of producing or manufacturing the goods had to be attributable to production or manufacturing processes that occurred in Australia.

By early 2007, the Campaign had over 1000 licensees using the logo on some 8,000 products. Research had consistently shown the logo to be the most recognised and trusted country of origin symbol in Australia, enjoying a 98 per cent recognition level amongst Australian consumers. A major export promotion project, aimed at boosting sales of Australian products overseas, was showing good results.

At this point, AMCL was approached by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to administer a new food labelling scheme, to be called “Australian Grown”, with the existing logo as its centrepiece. The Code of Practice and rules were rewritten to extend the existing scheme with new criteria to cover fresh produce and other products which have not been substantially transformed. The logo, and the scheme, were renamed “Australian Made, Australian Grown”.

Changes to the Code of Practice and rules were approved in May 2007 after an extensive consultation process with interested parties. At the same time, minor amendments were made to the design of the logo, with rounding of the corners of the triangle and some slight changes to the shape of the kangaroo.

The renamed “Australian Made, Australian Grown” Campaign was officially launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Peter McGauran MP, on 1 June 2007.