Radiokes was an Australian brand used by Robert Keith Stokes (1893-1953) who manufactured radio components in Australia from 1924 under several company names as listed in “History” below.

Brands: Radiokes, Kit-Sets

Initially Stokes imported parts and by 1924 was manufacturing Radiokes brand honeycomb coils. He manufactured power and audio transformers, IF coils and potentiometers. Radiokes was one of the first companies in Australia to market radio components in a Kit-Set and would have sold many thousands over the years and the number of coils manufactured and sold must be in the 100,000’s.

Stokes faded from history around 1942 however the Radiokes brand continued into the 1950’s.

Keith Stokes Proprietary (1923 - 1927)
27 King Street, Sydney, Sydney, NSW
Factory; 126-130 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW (1926 -1927)

Metropolitan Electric Company Pty. Ltd. (1927 – 1935)
27 King Street, Sydney, Sydney, NSW (1927 -?
Tracy House, Corner of Cleveland & George Streets, Redfurn, NSW (1931?
126-130 Sussex Street, Sydney (1928?

Radiokes Ltd. (1935 – 1939)
Tracy House, Corner of Cleveland & George Streets, Redfurn, NSW (1931?
44-52 Vine Street, Redfurn, NSW (1938 - 1939)

Radio Suppliers Pty. Ltd. (1939 – 1941)
Wingello House, Angel Place, Sydney (1939 – 1941)

Radiokes Pty. Ltd. (1940 – 1958)
PO Box, Broadway Sydney, NSW.

In 1923/24 Keith Stokes imported, distributed and sold Mar-Co radio components from the US and Polar components from England.[1][2]

In June 1924 Stokes set up his factory with coil winding machines to manufacture coils and by  November the proposed manufacturing capacity would be 10,000 coils per week.[3] The first advertisements for Radiokes Honeycomb coils appeared in Wireless Weekly in October 1924.[4]

Keith Stokes Pty., was registered as a limited company in June 1925.[5]

In October 1925 Stokes applied for the Trade Mark “Radiokes Honeycomb Inductance Coil”.[6]

Gelston S. Gow was incorporated into Keith Stokes Pty. Ltd., in May 1926 with the head office in King Street and the factory at 130 Sussex Street Sydney.[7][8] By November 1926 they were advertising as the Metropolitan Electric Company Pty. Ltd., which they registered in December 1928 with Robert Keith Stokes and Gelston Stewart Gow as First Directors.[9][10]

Advertisements in 1927 show that the company sold Radiokes brand tubes. According to "Wireless Weekly", December 23, 1927.[11] These tubes were made in the USA and carried a paper label stating "Radiokes Precision Products".

 Five tubes were offered.

• 200A
• 201A
• UX171  
• UX112
• UK199

Metropolitan Electric Company Pty. Ltd., changed its name to Radiokes Ltd., on May 17, 1935.[12]

In late 1937 the company moved to a new factory at 44-52 Vine Street, Redfurn.[13] However by November 1938 the company was in financial difficulties and was voluntarily wound up.[14]

In 1939 Stokes purchased the sole selling rights to Radiokes Products and formed Radio Suppliers Pty. Ltd. Of Wingello House, Angel Place, Sydney.[15] At the same time  RCS Radio purchased the Radiokes manufacturing plant from the Vine Street factory after their Darlington factory was destroyed by fire and RCS became the OEM for Radiokes components.[16]

Radiokes advertising under Radio Suppliers Pty. Ltd. of Angel Place continued until June 1941 when the name changed to Radiokes Pty. Ltd. with the address given as Broadway, Sydney. [17][18]

At the time of writing it is not known what happened to Stokes at the Angel Place address after June 1941 or if he had an interest in the new Radiokes Pty. Ltd. which took over Radiokes products advertising in July 1941.[18]

Radiokes Pty. Ltd. was registered earlier in April 1940 with A.D. Bridges and V.E.  Watkins as First Directors. [19]

Radiokes Pty. Ltd., advertising continued into the 1950’s with the company being wound up in March 1958. [20]

[1] Wireless Weekly Aug 15, 1924, Page 40.
[2] Wireless Weekly Nov 28, 1924, Page 64.
[3] Wireless Weekly Oct 31, 1924, Page 38.
[4] Wireless Weekly Oct 24, 1924, Page 41.
[5] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Jun 24, 1925, Page 5.
[6] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Oct 7, 1925, Page 8.
[7] Wireless Weekly May 28, 1926, Page 15.
[8] Wireless Weekly Oct 29, 1926, Page 39.
[9] Wireless Weekly Nov 12, 1926, page 53.
[10] The Herald(Vic.) Dec 18, 1928, Page 28.
[11] Wireless Weekly Dec 23, 1927, Page 26.
[12] Duns Gazette(NSW) Jun 19, 1935, Page 553.
[13] Radio Trade Annual, 1938, Page 193.
[14] Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National) Nov 10, 1938,  Page 2658.
[15] Radio Trade Annual, 1939, Page 143.
[16] Electronics Australia, July 1988, Page 26.
[17] Australasian Radio World Jun 1941, Page 4.
[18] Australasian Radio World Jul 1941, page 14.