Wills and Paton Pty. Ltd.
265 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC (1916 -1919)
238 Colins Street, Melbourne, VIC, (1919- 1927)
252 Colins Street, Melbourne, VIC, (1927- 1931)
305 Little Colins Street, Melbourne, VIC, (1927 – 1928)
33 Gilbert Place, Adelaide, SA (1926 -            )

Wills and Paton Pty. Ltd. was an Edison gramophone and musical recordings importer in Melbourne from 1916. 1926 they opened a shop in Adelaide. They imported US made, Edison, Brunswick, Columbia gramophone products and RCA and Mohawk radios. They registered the Air-Master Trade-Mark and were involved with Air-Master parts and Radios until 1930.

Wills and Paton Pty. Ltd., was registered in May 1916 by Walter Stoddart Paton & Alban Henry Wills as a musical retailer in Colins Street, Melbourne.[1] They sold Edison products and presented recitals for a “Tone Test” with famous sopranos singing alongside an Edison Diamond Disc gramophone and stated with the eyes closed one could not tell the singer from the instrument apart.[2]

Business was increased and in July 1918 they moved to a large showroom at 238 Colins Street.[3] They added Columbia gramophones to their inventory in 1918.

In early 1926 they became agents for Brunswick phonographs and records and as due to increased business opened a branch in Gilbert Street, Adelaide, South Australia.[4] They imported the Brunswick Panatrope in October 1926 and treated customers to a demonstration in the Oriental Hotel.[5]

 In Adelaide radio station 5DN regularly conducted concerts played on a Panatrope supplied by Wills & Paton.

Also, in October 1926 they became agents for RCA and opened a Radio Department at 238 Colins Street, Melbourne selling radios. [6]

The first Air-master receivers were advertised in March 1927.[7]

The company was granted Trade-Mark registration 46537 for The Air-Master on June 22, 1927.[8]

The company was part of the Radio Wholesaler’s Federation  formed in March 1929 with a memorandum of association between: Wills and Paton Pty. Ltd., Hartleys Pty. Ltd., Louis Coen Wireless Pty. Ltd., Eclipse Radio Pty. Ltd., Harringtons Ltd., and W. H. Eutrope and Sons Pty, Ltd.[9]

Their founder, WS Paton registered the Targan Electric Co. Pty. in June 1930.

In September 1931 Wills & Paton (SA) Ltd. was formed to take over the assets of the South Australian branch of Wills & Paton Pty. Ltd. [10]

A.H. Wills Pty. Ltd. was registered by Walter Stoddart Paton & Alban Henry Wills in June 1931, taking over the musical assets of Wills and Paton Pty. Ltd. [11]

[1] The Herald (Vic.)  May 6, 1916, Page 13.
[2] The Argus (Vic.) Jun 21, 1916, Page 7.
[3] The Herald (Vic.) Jul 18, 1919, page 9.
[4] The Advertiser (SA) Mar 8, 1926, Page 3.
[5] The Age (Vic.)  Oct 26, 1926, Page 19.
[6] The Herald (Vic.)Oct 30 1926, Page 15
[7] The Age (Vic) Mar 7, 1927, Page 18.
[8] Daily Commercial News & Shipping List (NSW)  Jun 22, 1927, Page 8.
[9] Everyone’s Apr 17, 1929, Page 14.
[10]  News (SA)  Sep 3, 1930  Page 8
[11] Daily Commercial News & Shipping List (NSW)  Jun 18, 1931  Page 5.