The origins of the Australian term "Manchester" fo

A few years ago in a department store in Melbourne, I was surprised to see "Manchester" listed on the third floor. On arriving at the top of the escalator I was somewhat disappointed to find myself surrounded by bedding and other textiles, rather than back in my home town.

Anyone know the origin of this term? I have never heard it used in England and I had until recently assumed that it was Australianism developed through seeing imported textiles manufactured in Manchester in days gone by.

A few weeks ago, however, I came across a reference to a company (in England) set up in 1720 "for making Manchester stuffs of thread and cotton".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corduroy

Yes, it's really just a reference to the manufacturing industry in Manchester or that existed there. For a long time a lot of linens etc sold in Australia did indeed come from Manchester. The word just became a common usage term that applied more broadly to any linens, sheets, cotton fabrics etc.

Ahh the good old days when Manchester produced something the world wanted.

It's not an Australian-only term at all, and guess where it came from. One would have to be pretty young and poorly-read not to know it.