The Radofone mystery has been solved!

Radio & Hobbies circuit and necessary parts list supplied with each kit.

A trade release for Radofone in the January 1948 issue of Radio & Hobbies suggests the 3/4 valve version is based on the Little General for 1946 (R&H 01/46), and the 4/5 valve version is based on the Advance for 1947 (R&H 10/47).

Told you it was a kit radio Aegis case you bought the innards from any number of parts houses, No mystery about it really eh!

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Steve.

Thanks for the research Mono.

Further research has suggested that Radofone Industries was a one Frederick Claude Manning.

Starting from around late 1946 Manning, a young man in his early 20's, was manufacturing radios and kit-sets from his home where he lived with his parents. The house called "Mount or Mountain View", 135 Cook Rd., Centennial Park, was a substantial property originally on three large blocks. The Manning family had lived at "Mount or Mountain View" since from when it was built in 1922.

In 1949 the Manning family moved from Cook Rd & son Frederick relocated Radofone to 296 Pitt St., Sydney. The house at 135 Cook Rd became a private hotel called "One Three Five". In the 1950's it's name changed to "The Garrick" and was still there in 1973.

An ad in the SMH classifieds, Businesses For Sale Or Wanted July 1949, shows that Manning was trying to sell a "RADIO Electrical Wholesaler" business at Pitt St for £900. Whether the sale of his business was successful or not is unknown because in 1950 he appears to be still manufacturing radios at his home, 56 Beach Rd., Coogee. After 1950 both Frederick Manning & Radofone disappeared from the radar.

I'm guessing that if Frederick Manning were still alive today he would be about 91.

Fantastic research, Mono. So a Sydney-based company after all.

The building at 296 Pitt Street is now occupied by the Metro Hotel.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Metro Hotel, formerly known as Pacific House.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16666156

Built in 1930, the seven floor building contained suites with an assortment of offices, dealers & merchants.

In 1932, RKO Radio Pictures (Australasia) offices occupied the fifth floor.

It is a fine looking building & I'm glad it has been spared the wreckers ball.

Yep, still there in all, or most, of its glory. As is the pub next door and the under-restoration Druids House also remain.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

This gets more interesting.

In 1935, Pacific House, 296 Pitt St., became Radio House. One of the tenants of Radio House was Radio House Pty., Ltd., incorporating Electrical Utilities. Electrical Utilities/Radio House was founded by Cecil Vincent Stevenson of whom was a first director & one of the co-founders of radio station 2EU/2UE. Cecil Stevenson's son, Murray Stevenson, was involved in the establishment of TV station ATN7.

Now for the interesting part.

Going through the City of Sydney's Rate Assessment Books, Pacific House/Radio House was described as having 8 floors including basement, four shops & 69 rooms. The owner/landlord is listed as a Claude Joseph Manning along with his two sisters, Mrs Eileen Baldwin & Mrs Violet Bennett. C.J. Manning was the father of Frederick Claude Manning, of Radofone Industries.

I remember the Radio House shop in the late 1960s being a few doors away at 306-308 Pitt St:

https://vintage-radio.com.au/default.asp?f=1&th=428#2288

Wonder when they moved? I guess trawling through RT&H and EA ads would find that point.

I'd say from the photo that Radio House is no longer there. Those skyscrapers look awful dominant in the background.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Radio House, the retail business, closed years ago. It was probably the last the major counter-service CBD outlets for electronic parts, such as Radio Despatch Service and George Brown, to go.

I remember the Radio House shop in the late 1960s being a few doors away at 306-308 Pitt St:

Trawl I did.

RTV&H December 1962:

Note- New Address, 308 PITT ST., 10 doors down from 296 Pitt St., opposite the Water Board Building.

Next time I am in town I will have another look-see. It just occurred to me that those towers may have been built behind the original facades. It is a common practice in Sydney these days. I just hope the towers were built recently enough for that to have happened.

The MWS&DB (Water Board) building is a fairly imposing one and worthy of a story in itself. It's under renovation too I think but there'd have been a few valve radios in that joint in years gone by.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

December 1962

Good work again, Mono.

Street numbers have been combined as developers take over.

296-300 Pitt is the Metro Hotel. 306-308 had been remodeled.