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Westonhouse Radio Ltd.; Auckland

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Name: Westonhouse Radio Ltd.; Auckland    (NZ)  
Abbreviation: westonhous
Products: Model types
Summary:

Westonhouse Radio Ltd. (1937 - 1950)
Westco Products Ltd. (1950 - 1957)

18 Rutland Street, Auckland

The company manufactured radios with at least twenty different brand names over the time it was in production. In 1950 the company changed its name to Westco Products and it went out of business in 1957.

Throughout most of its radio history, the company specialised in the production of private brands, as below.

CarltonMurphy (To 1956 only)
CourtellaPathfinder
DencoPrior
ElgarRobertson
EmpireS O S
EssexSaxon
Forest JuniorSouthern Cross
KTasman
Lincoln-FletcherTudor
MagnessYale

 

Founded: 1922
Closed: 1957
Production: 1932 - 1957
History:

The Westonhouse name first appeared in advertisements for Benzine Lighting plants around 1922 and the address was Chancery Lane, Auckland. [1]

In February 1923 the company moved to the corner of Lorne & Rutland Streets and advertised as Westonhouse Air Gas Co. [2]

Their first radio advertisement appeared in July 1932 for the latest Yale radio, second-hand parts for making a 6-valve DC set & a second-hand Cossor 3-valve. [3]

In November 1937 the owner of Westonhouse Air and Gas Company, A. Chadwick registered Westonhouse Radio Limited.[4]

During and after WW2 the company manufactured equipment for the Military.[5]

At a shareholders meeting in June 1950 resolutions were passed to change the company name to Westco Products Ltd. and increase the capital of the company to £50,000. The additional capital was required to support the expanding manufacturing of radios, refrigerators, and fluorescent lights.[6]

The company reached an agreement with Murphy Radio, Ltd., of England, in February 1954 under which the English company’s radio and television equipment will be manufactured in New Zealand by Westco Products Ltd. They also acquired the sole rights for New Zealand for certain other equipment manufactured by Murphy Radio, Ltd., and its subsidiaries. They also acquired shares in Stebbing Records. Ltd., a new subsidiary formed to take over the assets of Stebbing Recording and Sound Company, Ltd., of Auckland. The new company has obtained the New Zealand rights for manufacturing the records of the Mercury Record Corporation of Chicago. [7]

In 1955 the company, which had a paid-up capital of £73.880, incurred a net loss of £42,984 for the year to September 30 after making a net profit of £3005 the year before.

The main cause of the loss was a fault that developed in a Dutch-made unit for absorption-type refrigerators. This was a concealed fault which did not show itself till after it was in operation Westco Products. Ltd. was in no way responsible. The manufacturers in Holland accepted liability for the fault and accepted a claim for £38,000 to compensate the company. But the fault showed itself in units supplied to the Dutch domestic market and extensive export markets. The resulting heavy claims forced the Dutch company into liquidation.[8]

They did not recover from this financial loss and were liquidated in June 1957. [9]

 

[1] New Zealand Herald 11 Aug 1922, Page 2.
[2] Auckland star 28 Feb 1923, Page 2.
[3] New Zealand Herald 25 Jul 1932, Page 1.
[4] Auckland Star, (NZ) Nov 11, 1937.
[5] Auckland Star (NZ) April 29, 1944,
[6] Otago Times 7 Jun 1950, Page 9.
[7] The Press 5 Feb 1954, Page 12.
[8] The Press 18 Apr 1956, Page 17.
[9] The Press 14 May 1957, Page 20.

 

 

This manufacturer was suggested by Gary Cowans.


Some models:
Country Year Name 1st Tube Notes
NZ  50 WESTCO Portable 40 DF91  5 valve, AC, or battery power superhet with an RF stage. Cabinet has molded plastic fro... 
NZ  46 Yale 16 6A8G  5-valve broadcast band superhet. 
NZ  46 Dover 16 6A8G  5-valve broadcast band superhet. 
NZ  50 Westco 47 1T4  5-valve broadcast band superhet portable radio with an RF stage. Only schematic known t... 
NZ  45 Westco 117 6SG7  7-valve world band superhet with bandspread, an RF stage, and magic eye tuning indica... 
NZ  48 Empire 126 6K8  6-valve world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indicator. B... 
NZ  48 Westco 137 Vibrator  5-valve DC-powered world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indi... 
NZ  46 17 6A8GT  5-valve broadcast band superhet. Schematic only to date. 
NZ  46 Westco 39 7B7  5-valve broadcast band superhet car radio with an RF stage. Model 39 is a six-valve sup... 
NZ  45 Westco 107 6SG7  9-valve world band superhet with an RF stage and push-pull output. Only schematic known... 
NZ  45 Pathfinder 116 6SK7  7-valve world band superhet with bandspread, an RF stage, and magic eye tuning indica... 
NZ  48 Westco 127   6-valve world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indicator. &... 

[rmxhdet-en]

Further details for this manufacturer by the members (rmfiorg):

[1] New Zealand Herald,(NZ) Aug 1, 1923. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonho_1_new_zealand_herald_11_aug_1922_page_2.png
[2] Auckland star 28 Feb 1923, Page 2. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_2_auckland_star_28_feb_1923_page_2.jpg
[3] New Zealand Herald 25 Jul 1932, Page 1. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_3_new_zealand_herald_25_jul_1932_page_1.jpg
[4] Auckland Star, (NZ) Nov 11, 1937. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_4_auckland_star_nz_nov_11_1937.jpg
[5] Auckland Star (NZ) April 29, 1944, Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_ns_westonhous_5_auckland_star_nz_april_29_1944.jpg
[6] Otago Times 7 Jun 1950, Page 9. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_6_otago_times_7_jun_1950_page_9.jpg
[7] The Press 5 Feb 1954, Page 12. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_7_the_press_5_feb_1954_page_12.jpg
[8] The Press 18 Apr 1956, Page 17. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_8_the_press_18_apr_1956_page_17.jpg
[9] The Press 14 May 1957, Page 20. Image sourced from Paperpast -National Library of New Zealandtbn_nz_westonhous_9_the_press_14_may_1957_page_20.jpg

  

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