L. P. R. Bean & Co., Ltd.
176A George Street, Sydney, NSW. (1920 -1923)
229 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW. (1923 – 1926)
Factory, 86 Crown Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW. (1925 – 1927)

L. P. R. Bean & Co., Ltd manufactured radios under the "Audiola" brand name. They also imported Stromberg Carlson radio items and telephone equipment from the U.S.A.

Norman S Gilmore worked with Leslie Bean to set up Stromberg-Carlson (Australasia) in 1927.  Both gentlemen were Electrical Engineers who left the Post Master Generals Department (PMG) earlier.

L.P.R. Bean & Co. was formed around 1919 by Leslie Percival Reed Bean, an Electrical Engineer who left the PMG department to start the company to represent Stromberg-Carlson in Australia.  The company was registered in May 1921. [1] In 1922 Norman S Gilmore also joined the company.[2]

They manufactured “Audiola” radio receivers and imported Stromberg-Carlson telephone equipment.  Before the end of 1923 the company was producing five models of valve radio and one crystal set under the "Audiola" brand. The Trade Name “Audiola” was registered by the company in January 1924.[3]

In 1923 Leslie Bean established the first factory in Australia to manufacture telephone equipment at 229 Castlereagh Street, Sydney and in 1925 expanded to 86 Crown Street, Woolloomooloo, Sydney and concentrated on products not made by Stromberg-Carlson in the US. [4] This was so successful that in March 1927 the US parent entered into a partnership and formed Stromberg-Carlson (Australasia) Pty. Ltd., with Bean as Managing Director and NS Gilmore as Director.[5]

See Stromberg-Carlson (Australasia) Pty. Ltd.  for information on L.P.R. Bean, post 1926.

The Company became Australian representatives for Jewell Instruments from Jewell Electrical Instrument Co.  USA in December, 1924.[6]

Bean was also Chairman of Directors for Broadcasters (Sydney) Limited when radio Station 2BL was opened in July 1926.[7

[1] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) May 4, 1921, Page 3.
[2] Truth (NSW) Sep 28, 1930, page 10.
[3] Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (NSW) Jan 3, 1924, Page 11.
[4] The Labor Daily (NSW) Nov 24, 1925, Page 5.
[5] The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) Apr 7, 1927  Page 7.
[6] Radio, Australia & NZ Dec 10, 1924, page 599.
[7] The Daily Telegraph (NSW) Jul 6, 1926, Page 11.