Throughout most of the twentieth century, AWA was Australia's largest and most prominent electronics organisation, undertaking development, manufacture and distribution of radio, telecommunications, television and audio equipment as well as broadcasting services.

After the sell-off of most of its assets and operating divisions, AWA is now primarily an information and communications technology (ICT) services company.

A shortwave beam radiotelegraph service between Australia and Britain,[2] undercutting the cable companies, was inaugurated on 8 April 1927 and terminated on 31 May 1969.

The main goal was to end the artificial routing of traffic to cable or wireless depending on private financial profits.

During World War II, the Marconi School trained an extensive number of military personnel in signals and communications.

[4] Immediately after World War II through to the 1980s, AWA was extensively involved in the design, development and manufacture of advanced aeronautical communications, navigation and surveillance systems.

Many of these developments were undertaken jointly with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Department of Civil Aviation.

Some of these products are now produced and supported by Interscan Navigation Systems,[5] which for some years was a privately held stand-alone company, but is now a fully owned subsidiary of Indra Sistemas, a Spanish defence and ICT contractor.

It worked closely with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in developing the electronics in the Ikara anti-submarine weapon, Nulka EW rocket drone, AN/SSQ-801A Barra sonobuoy (with Plessey as Sonobuoys Australia Pty Ltd), Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), Agile Gliding Bomb and ALR-2002 Radar Warning Receiver, as well as providing support to the initial Jindalee Over The Horizon Radar trials.

During World War II AWV produced a range of defence electronics materiel, including klystrons and magnetrons for radar equipment.

With the increased competition in the marketplace, AWA joined forces with Thorn Electrical Industries UK in 1973 to create AWA-Thorn Consumer Products Limited, to produce colour televisions in Australia.

In 1974 AWA-Rediffusion branched into the television sales and rental market setting up a chain of retail shops under their Redihire name.

and Redihire had been preparing for the event for over a year with six shops opening in and around the Sydney area with the company's headquarters in Roseville, New South Wales.

In 1984, AWA, in partnership with Corning of the US and Metal Manufactures Limited, established Optical Waveguides Australia Pty Ltd (OWA).

[6] Over the next decade, in what developed into a landmark case in Australia, there were legal proceedings against auditors for failing to identify the trading, as well as cross claims against the company's directors, the foreign exchange trader and the banks involved.

[7] As a result, later that year AWA radio stations 2GN Goulburn, 3BO Bendigo, 3MP Melbourne, 4CA Cairns, 4TO Townsville and 6KY Perth were purchased by Wesgo for A$40 million.

In May 2010, the employee at the centre of 1987's foreign exchange losses, Andrew Koval, was extradited from the United States to face criminal charges.

[14] In May 2014 the company was purchased by Mount Waverley based Cabrini Health Limited, a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare provider.