Astor Radio Corporation

The daily organiser known as Miss Hurley who was in print for all jobs advertised at the firm at Grant Street, South Melbourne ended.

Archives reflect that a very sudden end to jobs advertised at Astor, better known as Electronic Industries at this stage (EIL, Radio Corporation).

Astor was not unique in this respect as large scale Australian manufacturing had receded to the point whereby components companies were all closing their doors due to Tariff reduction legislation implemented by the Whitlam government.

The head of Philips Mr Huye of Holland had seemingly been quite aware and proactively warned the government of the time about “complete collapse of Australian manufacturing” as we knew it.

The most famous release by this date was "Joe Dolce - Shuddup-You-Face" from 1981 under the Astor label - of Lygon Street, Melbourne fame.

This record reached number 1 on the Australian music charts and was the final vinyl pressing from Astor and unceremoniously heralded the end of the brand, consigned to history.

After Philips took hold of Astor, the Australian consumer electronics landscape would see the manufacturing arrangements collapse overnight in a very short time.

A company offering “employment with career progression" which was touted in advertisements for positions at Astor / Radio Corp swiftly ended.

Skilled welders, solderers, and wiring experts (who could follow diagrams) who were previously sought for in the hundreds, in the papers, would all lose their jobs.

Electronic Industries continued to produce its fridges and dryers up to 1974 from its Clayton plant, however, a news article from Mr Huye of Philips cites the tariff reduction scheme of 25% in 1973 as the reason workers would be laid off in stages in 1973/4.

The Astor radio corporation was a major manufacturer of early monochrome television sets in Australia, commencing production in 1956 in anticipation of services in Melbourne and Sydney.

Between 1969 and 1971, Electronic Industries engineers, Willem Sparrius and Ian Maskiel, developed an early domestic colour television set under the Astor brand.