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THE TASMANIAN ¥
lectia
Registered in Australia for transmission by pos! as
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ver spa :
Is National Washing Machine Month
t
? £50,000 IS TO BE SPENT DURING APRIL IN A DRIVE
NS ees.” TO ACCELERATE
WASHING MACHINE SALES
DOUBLE YOUR TURNOVER BY TYING IN WITH THIS
HUGE, PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
Ww
Planned by the Home Laundry Manufacturers’ Association of Australia
Ww
: EVERY WOMAN DESERVES A
3 WASHING MACHINE
Vol. 7, No. 9. March, 1957.
LOOKING BACK OVER FIFTY YEARS
Mr. Harry Medhurst, of Medhurst and Sons Pty. Ltd., recently retired. In the
following interview he looks back over half a century of association with the electrical
industry in Tasmania.
Mr. Medhurst was born in October, Building, Collins Street. About this to new premises in Argyle Street and
189%, one of several boys whose names time I came to Launceston to put tele- were wiring many of the new industries
have been synonmous with electrical phones and bells in the present E.S. & —Zine Co., Carbide Co., Electrona, new
power in this State. A. Bank which was built by the Com- homes and existing industries for the
mercial Bank of Hobart. new hydro. Then in 1914 came the
Harry Medhurst started work in 1906
Now came the big change. In 1909 Great War and Complex Ores failed,
at the age of 13 years, but at the turn
the English Company, Complex Ores & and the Government took over. The
of the century when about seven years
Metallurgical Co. Ltd, obtained the Hydro-Electric Department was formed
old, he was carrying water to charge
rights to use the water of the Great in 1916. Waddamana plant was open-
50 Daniel Batteries at Blinking Billy
Lake for Hydro-Electric power for dis- ed with a capacity of 10,000 hp. In
Point, to operate wireless which com-
tribution to industrial and private con- 1919 the Zine Co. made a further con-
municated with the Ophir and convoying
sumers. tract for 30,000 h.p., which was far be-
battleships which in 1901 brought the
yond the hydio capacity and new plants
Duke of York, the late King Edward to Here are some interesting sidelights. had to be developed. Waddamana was
r , Australia to open Cazterra.* These The Gas Co. erected two of: the largest
increased to 66,000 h.p. in 19383 and by
tae rie ships were the only ones fitted
ee
ms
with xadio, secret to the
“Our message of welcome to Tasmania
British Navy.
a further 14,000 h.p. in 1931 by the ad-
dition of the. Shannon River and the
Hydro Department was placed under the
was received and we recorded the reply”
control of a Commission.
Mr. Medhurst said.
About 1919 Paton & Baldwin and Kel-
Continuing his reminiscences, he said:
‘During our later school years my fa-
sall & Kemp wanted to settle in Laun-
ceston and the clause regarding hydro
ther purchased a wonderful set of tools
supply was cancelled, the Launceston
and machines, lathes, milling machine,
Council purchasing 6,000 h.p. from the
shaping machine drills, etc. I started
Department. This brought about the
work making thousands of parts for
the new telephone exchange, which was change-over to 240 volts and the Gorge
plant was also remodelled. In 1928 the
being installed in the present Post Of-
fice, Hobart. Later I made hundreds change-over was in progress. I came
of induction coils for the ‘Post Office to Launceston to wire Patons and Kel-
which were to enable telephone and
sall & Kemp and in 1925 opened a mod-
telegraph to be used on the same wire. ern showroom in 14 Quadrant, Launces-
My father fitted them in Tasmania and ton. (The charlady cleaning up said:
Queensland. “Isn’t it wonderful, everything electric-
al, gas stoves and all” as I had thir-
The electric supply in Hobart was 110
teen McClary ranges on display).
Yyede=from the Gas Company and ex-
tending in the city blocks only, bound- Then came a hectic time in Launces-
ed by Park, Melville, Harrington Sts. ton—stoves and water services by the
and the waterfront. By this time my hundreds and the rewiring and develop-
brother Rowland had started work for Mr. Harry Medhurst ment. Also power was extended to
Bert Heathorn in a small shed behind the North East and Lower Tamar and
Heathorn’s Hotel as an engineer at 2/6 wooden poles they could obtain at the North West Coast towns in which we
per week. He left this job to work for Rosetta Rail Crossing, the law being had almost a sole control of the de-
the post office on the new exchange that any other supply company would velopment and extending.
wiring. He later joined me and we set have to go six feet above them. Also After the last war we established all
up in business as R. A. Medhurst, Elec- a prominent Launceston gentleman, who our returned men in their home towns
trical Engineers. We had moved from was a Member of Parliament at the as contractors.
Ethel Mount, Sandy Bay, to a home in time, had a clause inserted in the con- In 1955 Medhurst Lid. turnover pass-
King Street, Sandy Bay, which had a tract that the Hydro supply could not ed the £1,000,000 mark. This year
large school room in the yard which we come within 25 miles radius of Laun- with further development and the ab-
used as a workshop, our activities be- ceston which had its local gas supply sorption of Medhurst Moore Finance
ing mainly intercom. office telephones and its own hydro plant at the Gorge. Go. formed in 1927 to conduct the
and bells with a small amount of elec- The first Hydro-Electric plant in the finance of electrical sales and sold to
tric wiring. We then moved to a small Southern Hemisphere was built in 1804 the Holding Company, Medhurst Ltd.,
shop in lower Collins Street, and the by Siemens Bros. who also started the
next year, 1908, to a new larger one Hobart Tram Service in 1892. By now (Continued at the foot of Column 1,
in the yard of the old Tasmanian News the mad rush was on. We had moved Page 7)
Page 6 TE TASMANIAN ELECTRICAL AND RADIO TRADER March, 1957
HM Ketved 3oQane 1987
POINTS FROM THE HYDRO-ELECTRIC TAS. TRADE
COMMISSION'S ANNUAL REPORT JOTTINGS
The following interesting of domesic consumers’ premises, a
points have been taken from the position which still leaves plenty of Mr. P. §. Staton, manager of the new-
H.E.C. annual report. scope for further sales of equipment. ly established Tasmanian branch of
All engaged in the electrical trada * ok OF English Electric, states that his com-
pany’s principal concern in Tasmania is
will no doubt be pleased to note that Tariff increases came into effect in
the consumption of electricity in Tas-
the engineering field and that at this
August, 1956, and the income per unit stage they would not be going into
mania continues to grow. New connec- for the year’s operations was .767 pence, . merchandising.
tions numbered 3789, and retail con- a figure far below that of any other Mr. Staton has been with English
sumers took 572 million units; the authority in Australia. In 1950 the Electric for 10 years, five of which he
Tasmanian figure of some 5500 units per income per unit was .408 pence, so that spent in the Melbourne office. He is
consumer ig now about the highest in the increase over this period is 88 per an engineer,
the world, rivalling that of Norway. cent.; over the same period the basic fe
zk #7 & wage has just doubled, and interest Terry Scurrah has been appointed
rates have also risen sharply. Interest Tasmanian agent for P. J. King Pty.
Electric ranges and hot water ser- charges are in fact a major factor in- Ltd., of Abbotsford, Victoria, makers of
vices are now installed in 71 per fluencing the cost of producing hydyro- Heetaire fan-forced electric heater. One
cent, and 58.3 per cent. respectively electric power. Another factor affect- of the latest productions of King’s is
ing the cost of electricity and tending an adjustable window exhaust-intake, a
to increase it is the growing proportion sample of which has just been received.
of power being taken by the smaller and Terry has relinquished the Astor and
MR. HARRY MEDHURST particularly the residential consumer's. Servex agencies. These lines are now
(Continued from Page 6) being handled by Homecrafts.
SAeek yee
Supply to smaller customers costs
in 1956, the gross turnover will be much more in distribution through the Cannon & Hornby are following up
greatly enhanced. : low tension network and also by virtue their new stove, recently introduced,
of their erratic demand and higher peak with a further development in the
Wireless. 2FC, Sydney and 3Bid cooking line. This new appliance will
loading.
Melbourne were formed as private com- be introduced in the near future and
panies. Madam Melba was to open 3Rh Bemed tie Fe will be of great interest to the trade.
Station and I fitted an aerial at my With the demand from all consumers xl = ceete
home at Trevallyn and obtained a large steadily on the increase, a new develop- H. M. Bamford and Sons Pty. Lid.,
Weston Electric set from England and ment has been approved by Parliament are now Tasmanian agents for cables,
invited Dr. Ramsay, Dr. Newall and Dr. for construction over the next five plastics and metals handled by A.W.A.
McClinton up to hear the first reception This is named Catagunya and it is situ- Telcon Pty. Ltd., of Sydney.
in Launceston. We twisted and moved ‘ated on the Derwent immediately below ie
the coils all night, but only received the the Wayatinah “B” Development. Simpson Distributors, Adelaide, have
last few bais of God Save the King. ° opened a branch in Tasmania. .
They have taken ovex Enslow and En-
We have now just sold the first tele-
slow, Hobart, previously their agents.
vision sets in Tasmania which get a
reasonable reception under good condi- WORLD TOUR FOR The branch will be managed by E. E.
Reseigh,
tions from Melbourne. MR. O. J. NILSEN
With the ever increasing demand for Mr. Oliver J. Nilsen, Chairman of
electrical service the firm is making vast Directors of Oliver J. Nilsen (Aust.)
extensions in Hobart, their new store Ltd., has left on a five months overseas MOVE TO CONTROL
and workshops—a three storey building trip. H.P. SALES
in Upper Collins Street—is'now com- He will disembark from R.M.S. Ar- _ State Cabinet has approved a proposal
pleted and the remodelling of the shop cadia at Capetown and travel by road to to introduce legislation to control hire
into a modern Arcade reputed to be the Durban, Johannesburg and thence by a purchase sales, interest and other
largest in Australia when finished, open- new turbo-prop. “Britannia” aircraft to charges in Tasmania.
ing up a thru-way to Medhurst, Fitz- London. At the present time, Cabinet is wait-
geralds, Goodwills, Charles Davis Ltd., His itinerary will include a tour of ing for information from New South
Brownells and G. J. Coles, bounded by the Continent and a visit to the Ger- Wales before going ahead with the
Liverpool St., Elizabeth St., Collins St., man Industries Fair at Hanover, re- drafting of the bill.
and Murray St. In this vast off-street turning via the United States of Am- New South Wales is considering
shopping arcade the needs of all can be erica. The final stage will be by ship legislative action to deal with interest
satisfied so we look forward with con- from San Francisco, arriving in Sydney rates on the hire purchase of house-
fidence and progress. in early July. hold and other goods,
March, 1957 THE TASMANIAN ELECTRICAL AND RADIO TRADER Page 7
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WHOLESALE DEPT. —————_—_—_—_——
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