Not Being Ernest: Uncovering Competitors in the Foundation of Australian Wireless

Abstract

Ernest Fisk was the dominant figure in early wireless in Australia. He headed Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), AWA, 1917–44, and was managing director of Electric and Musical Industries (EMI) in London, 1945–51. Arriving in Australia in 1911 at a critical moment in wireless development, Fisk became the main local representative for an industry that was born global. He was not, however, the first, as is often claimed. This article examines his predecessors, whose failures tell a good deal about Fisk's strengths, the good fortune of his timing and the business strategies of early multinational wireless companies.