Major Australian record / electronic company established by Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI), active from May 1957 to late 1980s.
For the pressing plant owned and used for most EMI Australia vinyl see Columbia / EMI Records, Homebush.
The roots of the company were founded in 1925, The Gramophone Co. Ltd., England established label in the Sydney suberb of Erskinville in New South Wales, shortly after another UK based company label established label, which began operations in another Sydney suberb, Homebush. The following year in 1926 saw the establishment of the first recording studios in Australia at the Homebush factory.
In 1931 Columbia Graphophone Company Ltd. and The Gramophone Company Ltd. are merged to form Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI) and the 2 Australian companies (including label) are subsequently brought together under one administrative control, with the record production plant being centralised at Homebush.
In 1936 the first Australian made "His Masters Voice" radio recievers were manufactured at Homebush, and the recording of radio transcriptions for broadcasting commenced.
During the war years the Homebush factory undertook extensive work on electronic devices for the Australian services and the output of the factory provided an important contribution to the Australian defence effort.
EMI (Australia) Limited was formed as a proprietary company E.M.I. (Australia) Pty. Limited in 1948 to takeover the activities formerly carried out by the branches of Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. British companies. In May, 1957 the proprietary company was converted to a public company and became official known as E.M.I. (Australia) Limited
As of 1963 E.M.I. (Australia) Limited was operating 3 principal wholly owned subsidiaries, which included its publishing arm label, later acquiring label and label in 1967.
Product portfolio of the company and subsidiaries that formed part of its record & electronics division. (As of 1963)
- Television receivers.
- Domestic radio receivers.
- Radiograms.
- Record Players.
- Domestic electrical appliances.
- Records, Publishing
- Industrial & commercial electronic equipment.
- Military electronics
In 1971 the board of Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. decided to rename itself label (EMI), to reflect how the brand was now globally seen. E.M.I. (Australia) Limited would subsequently become officially known as EMI (Australia) Limited. from 1971/72
During 1974 EMI (Australia) Limited acquired the outstanding shares of Music Houses Of Australia Ltd. (which it had already owned a 30% interest in), "MHA" through its 32 retail outlets across Australia, handled records, sheet music, musical instruments and electronics. In the same year the company reached an agreement with label to form a joint entity to undertake the distribution of Toshiba's extensive range of products, This joint venture (Toshiba-EMI (Australia) Pty. Ltd.) would subsequently take two years to establish, in the meanwhile EMI (Australia) Limited was appointed sole distributor of Toshiba consumer products in Australia with effect from for 1st July 1974.
The company's domestic consumer electronics business's. are terminated in Jan 1978, with the manufacture, import, sale and distribution of television receivers, audio receivers, cassette radios, car radios and blank tape being transferred to Rank Industries Australia Pty. Ltd., and in June 1978 also selling its 50% interest in Toshiba-EMI (Australia) Pty. Ltd. to it's former joint partner in this enterprise.
Following a global reorganisation by EMI Ltd. (EMI) in 1978, the new division label is established to head and unify worldwide music operations. 2 years later parent & the multinational Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd. merge to form label Plc, which becomes the ultimate parent.
In the mid / late 80s EMI (Australia) Ltd. recorded music operations are taken over by label
Company timeline - Not to be confused with the other Australia EMI companies:
E.M.I. (Australia) Pty. Limited (1948 to early 1957)
label (1957 to late 1980s)
label (mid 1980s to circa 1991)
EMI Music Australia Pty. Limited (circa 1991 to 2013)
label (2013 to present (as of 2017)
Note
EMI Music Group Australasia was the regional divisional name of label (late 1980s to mid 2000s)