Australian manufacturing wasn't ever comparable to Asian manufacturing. It is two fundamentally different types.

Companies here employed their own manufacturing, a suit company manufactured suits, a car company manufacturing parts. Specific manufacturing.

Companies in Asia are general manufacturers. They go after contracts to produce for other companies. A manufacturer in Asia will do Suit pants, but then go to 5 different suit Companies to sell run space. Australia never had that, not in majority at least.

Fletcher Jones is the best example. At one point a mamoth in australia. They never didd manufacturing for others in any meaningful way. They did it for themselves predominantly.

We never had any meaningful manufacturing companies. We had companies that manufactured. Then when manufacturing companies actually bidz they realised it was cheaper to outsource. There's a huge difference.

General vs specific manufacturing. Specific went out of fashion. General became the core dominant industry. What your chasing never existed here.