Westonhouse Air Gas Co. (192? - 1937)
Lorne & Rutland Streets, Auckland.

Westonhouse Radio Ltd. (1937-1950)
Lorne & Rutland Streets, Auckland.

Westco Products Ltd. (1950 - 1957)
18 Rutland Street, Auckland.

Allied Industries Ltd. (1957 -      )
Carbine Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland.

The UK Murphy brand was manufactured in New Zealand under licence from Murphy Radio Limited by Westco Products Ltd., 1954 to 1957 and Allied Industries Ltd. from 1957.

They used the same cabinets as the UK-made Murphy’s but were often electrically & mechanically unique to New Zealand.

Westonhouse Air Gas Co. was established by Mr A Chadwick and sold pressure type Kerosene operated appliances. [5]

The name was changed to Westonhouse Radio Ltd in 1937. [6] The company specialised in the production of private brand radios; at least 20 different names are known to have been used over the years.

Carlton, Pathfinder, Courtella, Prior, Denco, Robertson, Elgar, Saxon, Empire, SOS, Essex, Southern Cross, Forest Junior, Tasman, K, Tudor, Lincoln-Fletcher, Yale, Magness & Murphy (to 1956 only). [7]

In 1950, the name was changed to Westco Products Ltd. [8]

Westco Products Ltd. reached an agreement in February 1954 with Murphy Radio Limited of England to manufacture radios and televisions in New Zealand. The English company subscribed for 19,500 ordinary shares in Westco Products Ltd. with two of the companies’ directors appointed to the board. [1]
Westco manufactured and Westco Distributors Ltd. distributed Murphy radios until they were liquidated in May 1957. [2]

Allied Industries Ltd. acquired the Murphy agency and commenced Murphy radio manufacturing in the old Westco factory in Lorne Street but soon after moved to a new factory at Mt Wellington.

The radios were distributed by the Allied Industries associate company Fisher & Paykel Ltd. [3]

On August 10, 1960, they joined with Australia’s AWA to extend their existing manufacturing activities to include the production of Radiola radios, Radiograms, and AWA television receivers. [4]

As Allied was already involved in manufacturing Murphy radios under licence to the U.K. firm, arrangements were made to market AWA Radiola television also under the Murphy name. [3, Page 157]

[1] Press 5 Feb 1954, Page 12.
[2] Press 14 May 1957, Page 20.
[3] Golden Age of Radio in the Home
[4] Press 11 Aug 1960, Page 20.
[5] Auckland Star 14 July 1923, Page 6.
[6] New Zealand Herald 10 November 1937, Page 11.
[7] More Golden Age Of Radio, Page 134.
[8] Otago Daily Times 6 June 1950, Page 9.