Western Electric Company Ltd.

163 Pitt Street Sydney NSW (1985 - 1911) 
192-194 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW. (1911 -1925) 
588 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic. (1911 – 1925)

The company acted as a selling organisation for Australia importing the products of its associated manufacturing companies, Western Electric Company Ltd. of London in the UK and other parts of the world. The Company was name was changed to Standard Telephones & Cables (Australasia) Ltd. in December 1925.

The Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company was renamed Western Electric in 1882. Factories were set up in Europe and generally known as British Western Electric. The London branch of the Western Electric Company Ltd. opened an office in Pitt Street, Sydney in 1885 importing telephone & telegraph products.

When the Postmaster-General's Department (P.M.G.) of Australia was created in 1901 they standardized on Western Electric telephone switchboards (following the British Post Office lead) so the company had a ready market for their products.

The company was incorporated in 1912 as the Western Electric Company (Australia) Ltd. with Mr. RB Hungerford as Managing Director. Following WW1, the company diversified its product range to include electric generating sets, Kone loud speakers and wireless receivers branded WECONOMY and Western Electric which were all imported.

In 1925 Bell did a deal with International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) and the name of the Company was changed to Standard Telephones & Cables (Australasia) Ltd. [1]

It should be noted that Western Electric Company Ltd. (USA) set up Western Electric Company (Australia) (1926) Ltd. in January 1926 to manufacture & install sound equipment in theatres around Australia in competition with Raycophone. [2]

[1] 50 years, 1895-1945: being the story of the establishment & development in Australia and New  Zealand of Standard Telephones and Cables Pty. Limited. (nla.obj-191916865)

[2] The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW ) 20 Jan 1926  Page 19