Australis Designers

The owners and designers of Australis are brothers John and David Slattery.

They have over 100 years of combined paddling experience, and as they are still active paddlers, you will regularly see them paddling up and down the coast line of Wollongong and the NSW South Coast.

John and David are experienced in numerous paddling disciplines including flat water and white water touring, sea kayaking, canoe polo, surfing and marathon racing. They have paddled many, many rivers through out Australia and were quite competitive in their younger years, especially in marathon racing and canoe polo.

Years of practical paddling experience in local conditions and an in-depth knowledge of the rotational moulding process means that we can confidently call Australis the leading brand of plastic canoes and kayaks available in Australia in terms of quality and performance.

John and David Slattery paddling a ply wood canoe at Woy Woy (Central Coast NSW), circa 1956

100% Australian

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... and proud of it!!

All Australis products are:

• 100% Australian Made
• 100% Australian Designed, and
• Australis is a 100% Australian Owned Family Company

These 3 factors combine to assure that you will receive a quality product that is specific for Australian paddling conditions.

Because Australis is wholly Australian owned and we are not under the influence of any foreign companies, we can honestly call ourselves Truly Independent!

All of our products have been designed by Experienced Australian Paddlers with Australian paddling conditions in mind.

About Australis

Australis is the largest "100% All Aussie" designer and manufacturer of plastic canoes, kayaks, sea kayaks and sit-on-tops in Australia.

We made our first fiberglass canoes and kayaks in the mid 1960s, as Scouts and continued to do so through the 1970s and 80s as members of the Illawarra Canoe Club.

After numerous requests by our friends, and after being "down-sized" by Big Business (John by the Coal Mines and David by Telecom), in 1984 we started making fiberglass canoes and kayaks commercially and sold them from our original shop front on the Princes Highway in Woonona.

In 1987, with the demand for our canoes and kayaks exploding, we converted our manufacturing processes to the speedier "rotational moulding" and we began making all of our canoes and kayaks in the more robust and durable polyethylene.

From these humble beginnings, Australis is proving to be a true success story. The "Little Aussie Battler" has not only survived against larger competitors from overseas, but has thrived and grown to be the largest plastic rotational moulder of canoes and kayaks, sea kayaks and sit-ons in Australia.

All Australis canoes, kayaks, sea kayaks and sit-on-tops are designed and made in Wollongong NSW, where we have recently expanded our custom built factory and retail showroom.

The Australis Manufacturing Process

The shells of all Australis craft are rotationally moulded by a computer controlled plastic rotational moulding oven. By using a computer, we eliminate the probability of "human error" in the most important part of the manufacturing process.

The mould is then taken from the oven and moved to one of our cooling stations where the shell is left to naturally air cool.

Because we know the intricacies of rotational moulding, and so that we can guarantee quality in our end product, at Australis we make all of our own plastic rotational moulding ovens rather than buying them from a mass producing "oven manufacturer".

After the cooling cycle has completed, the shell is removed from the mould. It is taken to a separate section in our manufacturing plant where parts such as seats, footrests and hatches are fitted. We use customised tools that we have developed so that all combings are uniform widths, and each model in the Australis range has its own set of "jigs and templates" to ensure that holes for footrest and seat screws are drilled in exactly the right position.

After the fit out is completed, the product is wrapped to ensure cleanliness and stored in custom built racks until it is required to be shipped to the customer.

Testimonials for Australis Canoes and Kayaks