It may come as a surprise that early semiconductors were manufactured in Australia, but it is so. Fortunately for me, this has already been documented by another enthusiast, Mark Burgess, on this Web page. I therefore will avoid repeating his information as much as possible.

I have very few Australian germanium transistors. If you can provide me with more please


AWA transistors

Mark starts by describing a fully Australian manufacturer: AWA (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia) still exists today. They entered into a joint venture with RCA to make thermionic valves/tubes called Amalgamated Wireless Valve, and the abbreviation AWV was also used on their early transistors, which were 2N types originated by RCA. A list of these can be found on another of Mark's pages. They later developed their own AS series of transistors, mostly silicon planar types. My image shows a number of these, and their characteristic data can be found on the Web.

I would be very interested to obtain earlier types from AWV, especially germanium transistors. If you can provide any, please


STC Australia TS1 transistor

The first transistors manufactured in Australia were produced by a subsidiary of the English company STC (Standard Telephones and Cables). Here is an example of a TS1 transistor, a germanium PNP low-power AF amplifier. (Compound image, two views of the same device). Interestingly the logo is similar, but not identical, to the standard UK STC one.

STC Australia TS2 transistor

This compound image shows two sides of a TS2 transistor made by STC Australia, as proven by the logo. It does not have MADE IN AUSTRALIA printed on it.

If you know how I can obtain more STC Australia transistors, or obtain device data from that company (original or a copy), please


wanted transistors

Philips of the Netherlands made germanium transistors and diodes from their standard OA and OC series in South Australia. However, it's not clear to me how many types were really manufactured there, or whether they were marked as made there. I have very many devices in those series, a large proportion of which have the country of manufacture printed on them: none is marked Australia.

If you can clarify this, or provide example devices, please


wanted transistors

Another Australian company, Ducon Industries Ltd., made germanium transistors and diodes in New South Wales licensed from CSF in France. Again it's not clear to me how many types were manufactured there.

If you can clarify this, or provide example Ducon devices, please


SE6002 transistor

Mark finishes with quite a lot of information about the transistors made by Fairchild Australia Pty Ltd., an offshoot of the American company. My image shows several devices that Mark mentions: SE6002, AY1112 and AX1175. These are silicon planar transistors in the so-called 'glob top' package that Fairchild in the US employed for both transistors and early ICs. These are sometimes described as 'TO-5 epoxy' and 'TO-18 epoxy' but I believe that they were later designated TO-105 and TO-106.

I have also been contacted by Chris in Oz who has restored a Thorn/AWA radiogram that contained Fairchild transistors. Chris located an old Fairchild advertisement in 'Electronics Australia' June 1972. It lists a number of silicon power transistors in the AY81nn and AY91nn series (and a couple of 2N types). In addition, Chris found that he could replace AY1103 and AY1121 with BC548, and the PNP types AY1104 and AY1120 with BC558.


Anodoen 2N408 transistor

Another Australian manufacturer existed that Mark does not mention: Anodeon Semiconductor Division, in Victoria. The superb radiomuseum site reveals that this was part of Electronic Industries Ltd. Melbourne, formed in 1939 when Radio Corporation Pty Ltd and Eclipse Radio Pty Ltd merged. They were taken over by Philips in 1970 and subsequently closed down. I have two 2N408 transistors made by them: it is a germanium PNP AF amplifier type originated by RCA. It's odd that RCA was involved in both Anodeon and AWV.

If you can clarify this, or provide other example devices, please