Australectric Ltd.
97 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW.
422/4 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic.

Due to the demand on Amalgamated Wireless (Australia) Ltd.  for the manufacturer of  "Expanse" radio equipment  the directors set up a subsidiary company to be known as Australectric Co. in September 1918.[1]

The company later expanded to importing and manufacturing electrical and X-ray equipment.

The company initially started manufacturing the “Expanse” radio telephone equipment as a subsidiary of Amalgamated Wireless (Australia) Ltd. 

By November 1919 the factory at 97 Clarence Street, Sydney had expanded to manufacture switch gear, motor starters, circuit breakers, transformers and general motor and electrical repair work.[2]

The company was registered as a limited company in NSW during May 1921 and in Victoria in June 1921 with First Directors, Sir Thomas Hughes, Ernest Fisk, Charles Bartholomew, Alfred Goninan, James Taylor and T. Langley Webb.[3][4]

In August 1920 the company enlarged the scope of manufacturing to include of X-Ray apparatus.[5]

By July 1922 manufacturing of Australian designed X-ray equipment was well under way and included powerful apparatus for instantaneous radiography and smaller sets for dentists and country hospitals.[6]

An advertisement in April 1924 states that the company handles everything electrical from the largest motor down to the smallest electrical fitting including kitchen appliances and light fittings.[7]

In July 1924 questions were asked in Federal Parliament by the Prime Minister concerning the fact that the Government was a majority shareholder in Amalgamated Wireless (Australia) Ltd.  and its subsidiary company Australectric Ltd. was importing foreign goods to the detriment of Australian made articles. The company replied that its imports were not to the detriment of Australian made goods and its objective was to place on the market in competition with imported goods certain higher specialised electrical material made in AWA’s workshops. It was also doing a large business in very high grade and scientifically constructed X-ray equipment which was manufactured in Australia. Another section of the business comprised a very successful British automatic telephone system and if sufficient market could be found it would lend itself to manufacture in Australia. Certain equipment could not be obtained in Australia and had to be imported.[8]

The company was voluntary liquidated on September 30, 1926.[9]

[1]The Age (Vic.) Sep 3, 1918, Page 7.
[2] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Nov 26, 1919, Page 10.
[3] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) May 11, 1921, Page 5.
[4] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Jun 8, 1921, Page 5.
[5] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Aug 19, 1920, Page 3.
[6] The Daily Telegraph (NSW) Jul 31, 1922, Page 3.
[7] The Sun (NSW) Apr 17, 1924, Page 3.
[8] The Age (Vic.) Jul 11, 1924, Page 11.
[9] The Daily Telegraph (NSW) Aug 4, 1926, Page 5.