Gladiola Co.
154A Rundle Street, Adelaide
69 Rundle Street, Adelaide

Factory: 241 Waymouth Street, West, Adelaide

Gladiola & Co. was a furniture and music retailer who manufactured and sold the Gladiola brand of radios. Gladiola radios were made from around 1929 until 1941.

William Black owned a furniture factory in Waymouth Street, Adelaide. In the early 1920's he opened a shop at 154A Rundle Street selling sheet music, Pianos, Pianolas etc.

In 1924 he advertised the Gladiola Cabinet Phonograph.[1]

In the late 1920’s he started selling radios with Eclipse chassis fitted into his own cabinets and called them Gladiola radios. He had shops at Port Adelaide and at Henley Beach.

In the early 1930’s William's son, Bill, started making and selling radios. The chassis were bought in a folded “U” form and fitted with wooden ends. Most chassis were painted and fitted to cabinets made by the Waymouth factory.

They made radios up until 1941 when manufacturing ceased because of WW2.[2]

After the war Gladiola Co. continued as a music store selling radios and later STC refrigerators.[3] They were SA agents for Magnavox Loudspeakers in the early 1980’s. [4]

The company ceased trading following the death of Bill Black in the 1980’s. [2]

[1] Northern Argus (SA) Jun 6, 1924, Page 5.
[2] Adelaide’s Early Radios and Tape Recorders by Neville Ellison; ISBN 064627547X
[3] Messenger (SA) Dec 16, 1954, Page 6.
[4] Electronics Today International, Mar 3, 1981, Page 138.