They were used in a range of settings such as schools and public halls, as they were renowned for their ability to stay in tune for prolonged periods of time, requiring little maintenance.

[1] Around the turn of the century, Wertheim sent his eldest son, Herbert, to learn the piano manufacturing trade in the United States and tour the continent before returning to run the new Melbourne enterprise.

[3] While Wertheim's son was overseas, he commissioned architect Nahum Barnet, who had worked for Steinway, Bechstein, Kaps and others, to design a prestigious factory.

Wertheim spent somewhere between $25 and $75 thousand on the factory which was designed in a Free Arts and Crafts style applied to an industrial building.

The investment was of such significance in Australia at the time that Prime Minister Alfred Deakin laid the factory's foundation stone on 21 October 1908.

His father's investment in the factory paid off both financially and socially, and the Wertheim family enjoyed celebrity status in Australia.

John, registered the Wertheim piano brand for the international market and commenced manufacturing in sophisticated factories in Korea and China owned by Korean company Young Chang.