Welcome to Australia's only Vintage Radio and Television discussion forums. You are not logged in. Please log in below, apply for an account or retrieve your password.
Australian Vintage Radio Forums
  Home  ·  About Us  ·  Discussion Forums  ·  Glossary  ·  Outside Links  ·  Policies  ·  Services Directory  ·  Safety Warnings  ·  Tutorials

General Discussion

Forum home - Go back to General discussion

 100th anniversary of AWA
« Back · 1 · 2 · 3 · Next »
 Return to top of page · Post #: 31 · Written at 10:15:01 PM on 20 January 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

These are of AWA's Australian Totalisators Ltd factory in Meadowbank, NSW.

As a punter, I do remember the occasional visit to the TAB and seeing the AWA roundel on the loud mechanical machines that crunched my betting card. As far as I can remember, the last rollout of AWA gear to the TAB in NSW was made by another AWA division, Exicom, who occupied the Radio-Electric works at Ashfield right up to the closure of that site. Exicom also made standard rental telephones for Telecom, along with a commercial office phone with calling number display and the usual accessories such as telephone cable, Telecom standard pattern wall sockets, plugs, junction boxes, etc.

AWA Australian Totalisators
AWA Australian Totalisators


This building now houses storage space for several companies and a gymnasium. The long grass surrounding the run down factory is an all too common sight in Sydney nowadays.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 32 · Written at 10:17:57 PM on 20 January 2013.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
 Member since 21 February 2009
 Member #: 438
 Postcount: 5385

Radio Trade Annual 1937 lists 167-9 Queen St Melbourne, and a large listing of distriburors. Local & International.

Marc


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 33 · Written at 11:13:08 PM on 20 January 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

Below are a couple of photos taken this rainy afternoon in Sydney, a far cry from Friday's 46 degree scorcher.

2FC memorial plaque
2FC memorial plaque


The first shows the plaque that GTC discussed in an earlier post. This image is larger for the benefit of those with less than average eyesight.

The second photo shows where 2FC is believed to have been located. As can be seen, there isn't so much as a back page of Wireless Weekly left. Rows of shops stand where the beginnings of radio broadcasting once occurred.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 34 · Written at 11:16:41 PM on 20 January 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

I was in Melbourne on Saturday to finalise a purchase of a 'guts' for a huge AWA radiogram I want to get going again and on my way out of town I drove past the address Marc just referred to.

Sadly, the building that once stood at 167 Queen Street has been replaced with a more modern one and contains a foyer to office space and a convenience store.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 35 · Written at 11:48:17 PM on 20 January 2013.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6760

I don't know about Sydney, but here in Melbourne, a lot of land sub-divisions were purely speculative

Nothing speculative about it, other than perhaps the purchase price.

Before you can hold a public auction for the sale of land you must have the DP (deposited plan) registered with the Land Titles Office (now Land and Property Information) showing all of the surveyed lots compromising it, and the lots are pegged out so that prospective buyers can see exactly what they are bidding on.

Also, First Ave still contains a number of Federation houses, which date from that era.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 36 · Written at 11:50:15 PM on 20 January 2013.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6760

That Meadowbank site is looking very sadly neglected. Doesn't bode well for its long term future, I fear.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 37 · Written at 12:41:45 AM on 21 January 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

Meadowbank is surrounded by huge blocks of flats these days. If this site is not on the Register of the National Estate (like all AWA and similar sites should have been) then it'll go. It's in a prime location for residential lots as it is downhill to the water so a medium or high rise here will not obstruct the western sunlight and will provide those prepared to pay a view of the Parramatta River, for a time at least.

Across the road are more empty factories and people, in their infinite wisdom, have started using the driveways to these places as a dumping ground for household rubbish. Some people amaze me with the filthy way they live - they should be forced to live in a paddock under a sheet of iron until they become more community-minded. To put things in perspective here, Ryde City Council offers us five cleanup services per annum and 99% of the junk that finds its way into illegal dumpings on local industrial estates is permitted to be left on cleanup piles.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 38 · Written at 6:24:08 PM on 21 January 2013.
MonochromeTV's avatar
 Location: Melbourne, VIC
 Member since 20 September 2011
 Member #: 1009
 Postcount: 1205

Hi all.
I've been doing some more Trove trawling today and I think this ad from the Sydney Morning Herald (01/12/1926, P23) proves that the 2FC plaque is in the correct position:-

"By Order of the Mortgagee
WILLOUGHBY.
Corner of RAEBURN AVENUE and SUNNYSIDE
CRESCENT off EDINBURGH ROAD

New Cottage (never been occupied) built of brick on brick with tiled roof having verandahs front and rear and containing four rooms kitchen bathroom laundry, etc
Easterly aspect and extensive outlook.

Situate about 3 minutes from the bus and about
10 minutes from the tram.

THE LAND has a frontage of about 71 feet to RAEBURN AVENUE by a depth of about 116 feet along SUNNYSIDE CRESENT being LOT 28 of the Wireless
Estate No. 1 Subdivision."

Meanwhile, 2FC moved its transmission site from Willoughby to Pennant Hills on the 29/03/1926. The Pennant Hills site, AWA equipped, was touted as the "most powerful transmitter in the Southern Hemisphere" at 10kW. The 2FC site in Willoughby was taken over by AWA for "experimental & commercial purposes". (SMH 24/03/1926)

Cheers.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 39 · Written at 9:31:33 PM on 21 January 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

Raeburn Ave would have been only 20 seconds from the tram only that the rails are covered in asphalt at the moment. The Chatswood line ran down Eastern Valley Way from Long Gully Bridge and before that, North Sydney and back to platforms 1 and 2 at Wynyard Railway Station.

On Sunday arvo I parked my car in Raeburn Ave. It's still there though I didn't notice Sunnyside Crescent. Might be worth another look tomorrow. Photos from my Canon 7D seem much clearer than Schmoogle Streetview. Wink


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 40 · Written at 10:55:05 PM on 21 January 2013.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6760

Sunnyside Crescent is quite long. It loops off Eastern Valley Way and eventually joins Edinburgh. Had you driven to the other end of Raeburn, you'd have been in Sunnyside.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 41 · Written at 6:40:43 PM on 14 July 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

Here's a couple of photos of what would have been a thriving radio and television repair business in its day.

TV Repair Shop
TV Repair Shop


Perfectly preserved yet disused for years. The radios that once adorned the windows are gone but who knows what goodies are out the back and upstairs.

The AWA sign in the fanlight window tells a brief but familiar story.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 42 · Written at 7:31:07 PM on 14 July 2013.
Jandab's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
 Member since 6 October 2010
 Member #: 745
 Postcount: 15

Hi Brad,

The shop front you have shown at Neutral Bay was still trading until recently by the original family, unfortunately the owner has recently passed away.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 43 · Written at 11:58:19 PM on 14 July 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7389

Yes, that is unfortunate though I must admit being curious about the future of this shop.

I don't remember who told me now though it was about two months ago, I was told of a shop on Military Road that still had radios in the windows yet was unused.

I asked around and no-one I asked knew of the shop or who owned it so I didn't do much more about it until a week ago when I bumped into another photo of the same shop in an image search on Bing. I was looking for something else at the time. When I saw the photo I thought to myself that this could be the place I was told about as surely there'd be few such places left in Sydney. It took me half an hour to find it this afternoon despite me parking only metres from it! The other photo didn't show the trellis doors.

I wonder if there is any radio gear left. In the main part of the shop there is just bits and pieces but nothing really related to valve radio, along with some dust and cobwebs.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
« Back · 1 · 2 · 3 · Next »
 You need to be a member to post comments on this forum.

Sign In

Username:
Password:
 Keep me logged in.
Do not tick box on a computer with public access.