Foy & Gibson (Perth) Pty. Ltd.
765 Hay Street, Perth

Foy & Gibson (also known as Foy's) was one of Australia's earliest department store chains and newspaper advertising indicates radios and radio parts were sold from the Perth branch only from 1924 till 1929.

 There first radio advertisement was for the "Radiette" Crystal Set in 1924.[1]

When radio broadcasting started in Perth in 1924 Foy’s started selling radio components, crystal sets and valve amplifiers advertised in a catalogue dated Dec 3, 1924. Advertising indicates they had a radio manufacturing workshop. By 1925 they were selling a four valve set with a jarrah polished cabinet. In their 1925 catalogue they advertised, one, two, three and four valves radios. [2]

In 1982 Mark Foy  was looking for a partner for his son Francis to setup a drapery business in Melbourne and reached  agreement with William Gibson and they signed on 6 March 1883, setting up Foy & Gibson, drapers of Collingwood,  Gibson and Francis Foy each putting in £5000.

After a disagreement on control in the company they agreed to dissolve the partnership in mid-1884. Foy went to Sydney to establish Mark Foy’s Ltd. and Gibson became sole proprietor of the Collingwood shop. They both agreed not to set up in opposition.  In 1985 Gibson set up a branch in Perth, Brisbane in 1993 and Adelaide in 1907.[3]

The company initially registered in Victoria as a proprietary company in 1903 and was converted to a public company in 1904. The capital was acquired by Cox Bros (Australia) Ltd in 1955.[4]

[1] Sunday Times (WA) Oct 5, 1924, Page 11.
[2] Encyclopaedia of Western Australian Wirelesses and Gramophones, 2012.
[3] Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8, (MUP), 1981 Gibson William.
[4] Cox Brothers (Australia) Ltd. Guide to Australian Business Records. - Retrieved 2018-03-13.