Reginald Murray Williams was born on a South Australian farm in 1908. He started his business which became known as ‘R.M. Williams – Bush Outfitters’ – back in the 1930s, and the company is still known primarily for quality leather boot production. Entirely appropriate, because making good quality boots is what R.M. first began with.
In 1987 R.M. Willaims sold the company to Bennet and Fisher for $14 million. Ken Cowley was Rupert Murdoch-owned News Limited former Chief Executive, and he retired from that position in 1997, but remained a News Limited board director. Ken Cowley became a major RM Williams shareholder in 1994 when the company was publicly floated, and his company Strathig bid to increase the 51.79% shareholding of RMW to full ownership, in July 2003. ‘R.M. Williams – Bushman’s Outfitters’ returned to private ownership.
R.M. Williams died on 4 November 2003, aged 95, so he lived to see his company return to 100% family ownership, and his name lives on in the company he founded during Australia’s Great Depression era.
In May 2009 Ken Cowley announced a new venture, a partnership between R.M. Williams and Primary Holdings International, called R.M. Williams Agricultural Holdings (RMWAH).