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While KDKA is the first commercial radio station in the world and still on air and while the Gates company of the US was a pioneer in radio receivers and transmitters, let's not forget Australia's two radio pioneers, AWA and the Rev. Fr. Shaw MSC. AWA originated as an office of Telefunken while the Rev. Fr. Shaw's works started out of an interest in 'tinkering' with radio with the hope of raising money for the "missions" starting in PNG.
Both entities initially manufactured equipment and operations for defence and coastal communications.
The Rev. Fr. Shaw MSC passed away in 1916 while AWA continued to develop and sell scientific instruments, radio receivers and transmitters. AWA continued in the 1950s with the manufacturing of TV receivers and transmitters where in 1967 produced a colour TV transmitter for ATN 7.
Unlike the Gates company of the US which continues to produce radio and tv transmitters, AWA is nothing but a shell. Gone are the Ashfield and North Ryde factories. Gone are the micro-electronics chip manufacturing facilities at Homebush.
Perhaps AWA's slow demise into a "shell" of its original self may have been the result of foreign exchange losses of $50 million and the allegation that AWA's management was not satisfactory.
Sources - subscription may be needed and/or the web browser's cache of cookies are cleared in order to view pages.
https://www.misacor.org.au/item/1993-fr-archibald-shaw-msc-centenary-of-his-death
https://catholicoutlook.org/traces-of-radio-pioneer-priest-in-kurrajong/
http://www.awa.com.au/about-us/our-history/
History of AWA colour tv transmitter in 1967 - oral history.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/whizkid-faces-the-music-17-years-on-20100525-wb29.html
https://www.afr.com/politics/awa-forex-loss-raises-urgent-issues-19871002-k2hfy
Thank you,
Anthony, it's good to compare and contrast history, Belfield, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation.