Asianometry Australia's Forgotten Electronics Giant
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Oct 19, 2025 Discover the fascinating rise and fall of Amalgamated Wireless Australasia, once Australia's largest electronics company. Explore how AWA became pivotal in long-range wireless communication and its ambitious foray into semiconductor fabrication. Learn about the innovative Homebush Bay fab, producing advanced integrated circuits crucial for medical and defense applications. The tale takes a somber turn as financial scandals and land acquisition lead to the fab's tragic closure during a global chip shortage, marking the end of an era in local electronics.
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Formation Through Patent Fight
- AWA formed from a 1913 merger after Marconi sued Telefunken over wireless patents and security concerns.
- The company then ran Australia's coastal wireless stations and gained exclusive international telegraph rights.
Wireless Beat Cable On Cost
- Viabeam's wireless service cut costs versus cable and quickly captured international telegraph traffic.
- By 1929 AWA carried half of Australia's international telegraph messages and paid its first dividend.
RCA Partnership Enabled Broadcasting
- AWA leveraged RCA ties to access advanced continuous-wave radio patents needed for broadcasting.
- They produced Radiola branded sets and shaped early Australian radio broadcasting.