Merino Country
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Based on what Merino Country publishes, with few independent checks. Researched with AI assistance against published rules. Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources · How we check
Australian family business making merino thermals and underwear.
Merino Country makes its merino thermals and underwear in its own factories in Australia, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It carries the Australian Made label, and shows where its yarn and fabric come from.
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Why it's graded Good
Meets all 7 Good requirements.Open why it has this gradeClose why it has this grade
- Met: Meets all 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 7 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Australia are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneEarlier stages shown
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (silk and cashmere) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: silk and cashmere
Red flags 0
None found.
Accreditations 1
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Merino Country's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Underwear, Knitwear, T-shirts, Sleepwear & loungewear, Socks: Good, the same as Merino Country overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
- A product made with silk: On Track
- A product made with cashmere: On Track
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
Australia.Open where it's madeClose where it's made
From Merino Country's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
4 things we found and what 3 independent sources say.Open the evidenceClose the evidence
What we found
- Uses silk and cashmere in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where they come from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
Research notes Merino Country is a family business founded in 1993. It says its merino is Australian grown, its fabric is knitted and dyed in Melbourne and every garment is sewn in its own factory at Shailer Park, south of Brisbane; it holds an Australian Made licence. It does not say where its merino sneakers or socks are made. Staff numbers vary with the season (five to 25 in 2019). It is not on Ethical Clothing Australia's register of accredited brands (checked November 2026), though an Australian Fashion Council listing says it is, and it publishes no audits or wage information, so its workers are covered by Australian workplace law alone.
Sources and actions
7 sources, company details, and how to send evidence or a right of reply.Open the sources and company detailsClose the sources and company details
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Australian Made: Merino Country Australia (Wundies) licensee · search the archive · Licensed for underwear, thermals, activewear, beanies, scarves and other clothing; Unit 5/2-4 Commercial Drive, Shailer Park QLD.
- Australian Made: Merino Country, quality from sheep to shop (2023) · search the archive · "All our garments are made in-house in our factory in Queensland"; workforce doubled during the pandemic.
- AWI: Merino Country's 30 year milestone (2023) · search the archive · Owned by Kerrie Richards and Malcolm Pain; fabrics knitted and dyed in Australia; all garments sewn in its own factory.
- Business News Australia: Merino Country woollen undies (2019) · search the archive · Five to 25 staff depending on season; all Australian made and sourced; manufactures its own products.
Published by Merino Country or its owner
- Merino Country: About us · search the archive · Garments made in-house in its own factory in Queensland; family business founded 1993; bought its current building on the M1 in 2014.
- Merino Country: Made in Australia · search the archive · Merino Australian grown; fabrics knitted and dyed in Melbourne; every garment sewn in-house in its Brisbane factory; Australian Made certified.
- Merino Country: All products · search the archive · Range includes merino sneakers and socks, with no origin stated for them.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Merino Country ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/merino-country, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Merino Country.
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